Frittata

Breakfast meets dinner! Power up with salmon's protein; stay balanced with potato's blood-pressure-regulating potassium.

Bright vegetables (like bell peppers and tomatoes, which are filled with vitamins A and C) take center stage in this dish.

All hail kale: Research shows it turns on your body's natural detoxifying enzymes to help ward off lung and stomach cancers.

Bite-size portions are just right for a cocktail party. If you'd like to serve the frittata for breakfast or brunch, cut it into larger pieces.

This is a different sort of frittata, not the neat golden round of well-set eggs that’s probably most familiar. Here the eggs are in the skillet for barely a minute, just long enough to gather in soft, loose folds, filled with morsels of asparagus and shreds of prosciutto. In fact, when I make this frittata or the “dragged” eggs—uova strapazzate, page 143—I leave my eggs still wet and glistening so I can mop up the plate with a crust of country bread. That’s the best part of all.

This dish tastes like an entire New England clambake all folded into a luxurious frittata. Budget enough time to bake the potato and to steam the lobster. Though this is a little more work than most brunch dishes, it’s worth the extra time when you really want to pamper some guests, and yourself. Serve with Spicy Zucchini with Mint (page 218).

Hungry guests still rubbing the sleep from their eyes will be delighted to encounter this satisfying spin on that old diner favorite, the Western omelet. But it's just as nice for dinner, served with some roasted potatoes and a salad. This frittata is a great one to have in your recipe arsenal when you're faced with some leftover breakfast sausage (from our Sausage-Stuffed Potatoes with Green Salad, for example).

Seriously, how is a potato chip any different from the fried potato that’s traditionally part of this Spanish staple?

When removing the skillet from the oven, beware of the hot handle!

This fast-cooking frittata has a lighter texture than most.

A double layer of bread crumbs is the key to these extra-crispy homemade bar snacks.

Indian flavorings give this vegetarian main some extra pizzazz.

This lovely frittata can be served warm or at room temperature.

Anita serves this easy dish for brunch with a mixed-greens salad alongside.

The classic frittata offers an elegant solution for those times when you have only eggs and cheese in the fridge. Combined with some of spring's freshest flavors, it provides a healthy dose of fiber, omega-3s, and vitamins A and D.

Why you'll make it: Because it's the simple version of the omelet, and works as well for breakfast as it does for lunch, a late dinner, even with drinks.

This dish, from Golden Door executive chef Dean Rucker, only feels indulgent.

Rest assured that your guests won't leave your party feeling hungry — these omeletlike hors d'oeuvres, not to be confused with Mexican flour tortillas, are as hearty as they are delicious.

Here, the old trick of moistening scrambled eggs with cream cheese is elevated with Boursin, which also adds flavor. This makes a good brunch dish or, when served with a salad, a satisfying light supper.