Crafts

Compensation for this post was provided by Unilever via AOL Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Unilever or AOL.

Not too long ago, I shared my love of all things brunch!

I shared one of my all-time favorite breakfast treats… Lemon Drop Crêpes.

Little did you know, that post was just the beginning. I’ve been working on creating a fabulous summer inspired brunch menu that is perfect for celebrating this time of year.

I adore summer. There is just something special about this time of year.  The warm weather, trips to the lake, sleeping-in and farmers markets. I LOVE spending the morning at the farmers market and running home with my bounty to create a fun meal for the family.

We love eggs here in our house. We typically have some type of egg dish for dinner at least once a week. Eggs are a fantastic source of protein and paired with good fats, they make for a fantastic meal! When I was working on this summer brunch menu I knew I had to incorporate a tasty egg dish. I came up with a lovely Summer Vegetable Frittata.

What is a frittata? It’s kind of like an oven baked omelet. You add your favorite ingredients to an oven-safe skillet. Top it with an egg mixture, lightly start the cooking process on the stove and then finish it off in the oven. They are super quick and simple to make.

For this recipe we start with some simple fresh ingredients…

Summer Vegetable Frittata Recipe

9 eggs

1/3 cup of whipped chive cream cheese

2 tablespoons heavy cream (feel free to substitute with skim milk as a lighter alternative!)

salt & pepper

1 1/2 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend

2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter®

1/2 small white onion

1 cup asparagus

2 cups grape tomatoes

1 lemon

1 bunch of chives

1 tablespoon feta cheese

When you are putting together a dish like this, you want to make sure that your ingredients are fresh and nutritious . Have you thought much about the fats that you use when cooking lately?

We need some type of good fat in our diet… We ALL do! Good fats are a source of energy and essential fatty acids your body can’t produce on its own. When I was putting together this frittata recipe, I used I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter® as the fat that I used to sauté my vegetables in.

I tend to stick with I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter® because I know that it’s provides good fats. It has 40% fewer calories and 70% less saturated fat than butter per serving. Not to mention that it has no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives and no partially hydrogenated oils. It has non-GMO sourced ingredients and it’s cholesterol free with 0 grams of trans fats per serving.. That exactly what I’m looking for when I’m cooking for my family!

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350˚.

In a medium sized bowl, add your eggs, cream cheese, heavy cream, salt, pepper and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Whisk together and set aside.

In a oven-safe skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter®.  Once the I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter® has melted, add your diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook for another minute and a half.

Next, add 1/2 of your tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute. Reserve the remaining tomatoes for a garnish.

Pour in the egg mixture and cook just like you would scrambled eggs for 1 minute. This give the frittata a little body and helps the veggies to stay suspended in the dish rather than just fall to the bottom of the pan.

After one minute, add the remaining cheese to the top and place in a 350˚ oven for 15-20 until it look just set.

Remove the frittata from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, prep your tomato salad garnish. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt a 1/2 teaspoon of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter®. This should take no more than 20-30 seconds. Add the remaining halved tomatoes to the bowl along with a tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper & 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped chives. Once the frittata has rested, add your tomato salad & feta cheese to garnish and serve.

  I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! sources ingredients that are not genetically modified. However, in the field-to-tub journey of making our buttery spread there is some contact with genetically modified vegetable oils, resulting in a small amount in this product.