One of the problems with being a college student is the lack of time in our schedules to feed ourselves (especially if you’re like me, and enroll in classes back to back, giving you huge chunks of class time with no breaks for snacks). In my case, my issue is currently Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have a solid 3 hour block of class; by the time noon rolls around, I’m starved. Getting up earlier to cook isn’t really an option either, because my sleeping habits leave me waking up with five minutes to get to class every morning. Instead, I’ve been looking into breakfast foods that I can make the night before. Sandwiches are of course always an option, however depending on the sandwich, it might get soggy, which is never fun. Browsing through some recipes online, I came up with an alternative: the frittata!

Now I’m not sure if my terminology is 100% correct here, but from my understanding, a frittata is an egg dish where you can add vegetables, meats, cheeses, etc. To begin with the simplest of frittatas, I propose we begin with what is also known as the Spanish omelette.

You will need:

Potatoes

Eggs

Oil (to cook said things in)

These are of course the most basic of ingredients. It’s also a good idea to have spices and herbs available, if you happen to have any in your kitchen. I’d recommend at the very least having salt, pepper and garlic on hand. Now for the recipe:

Peel the potatoes

Chop them (in the Spanish omelette the potatoes are usually sliced thinly, so you have several round pieces, but I prefer to chop them into little chunks, like breakfast potatoes– I think it makes them easier to handle)

Pour some oil into your pan/pot (I have limited cookware, so I just made mine in a pot. Note, however, that this made it somewhat difficult to flip later)

Add the potatoes

Once they start to brown a bit, add in the egg (how much is up to you, I like adding in enough to cover the potatoes)

Add in your salt/pepper/garlic, and stir until the mixture looks even

Cook on reduced heat (this allows more time for the gooey insides to cook without burning the outside)

Once it’s solid enough, flip it over (if you’re horrible at flipping, like me, it might be best to cut the frittata into fourths and flip each piece, instead of attempting to flip the whole thing)

Done!

Now you can either chow down on your tasty meal, or cut it up into smaller portions and store them in your fridge for breakfast the next day. The frittata can be popped into the microwave or simply eaten cold, either way it tastes good.

This is pretty good, but when I made my first frittata, I wanted to add a little more “umph” to it. For my frittata I added in tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, onion flakes, oregano, a teeny bit of paprika, and bacon, sliced into tiny little pieces. The process was essentially the same. The main ingredients are added a little earlier than the egg, and the herbs and spices are added in with the salt and pepper (although I made sure to fry the bacon before adding it in).

Ideas for additional ingredients include:

sausage

bacon

ham

chicken

pork

cheese

mushrooms

peppers

asparagus

broccoli

cauliflower

tomato

onion (or onion flakes)

parsley

oregano

paprika

even pasta

The possibilities are endless! It’s very flexible, and you can vary the ingredients depending on what you have in stock. And if you’re looking for lunch ideas, you can always pack in some of the heavier ingredients for a hearty meal.

I’ll attach a photo soon, but for now I’m signing off till next time.