Recipe: Jessica Prescott’s “Fridge-Clear-Out” Frittata to the Rescue

Whether you’re a devoted plant-based eater or an omnivore, you’ll love the dishes in Jessica Prescott’s latest cookbook, Epic Veg. The follow-up to Epic Salads offers more than 80 vegetable-based dishes that will actually get you excited about eating your greens.

But if your excitement levels have been low lately, and your greens have been languishing in the crisper drawer, Prescott’s fridge-clear-out frittata is a great way to use it all up in one hit.

“This frittata is endlessly flexible,” she writes. “You can scale it up or down, swap in whatever needs using, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, nutrient-packed way to clear out the fridge and set yourself up for future meals.”

Any combination of forlorn veg will work for this, but Prescott’s non-negotiable is an ingredient you’ll almost surely have on hand. She swears by the inclusion of onion, “as it brings an unparalleled savoury depth to the final dish.”

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Jess Prescott’s fridge-clear-out frittata

Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking
1 onion, diced or thinly sliced
100g baby spinach, cooked kale, silverbeet (Swiss chard) or other leafy greens, chopped
10–12 large or extra-large eggs
3–4 cups cooked vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, pumpkin (winter squash), cauliflower, zucchini (courgette), broccoli, mushrooms, peas, corn, etc. chopped into bite-sized pieces
1–2 tbsp finely chopped chives, dill, parsley
125g grated tasty cheese
200g ricotta, feta or goat's cheese
Handful of roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sesame seeds (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease an ovenproof dish with butter or line with baking paper.

Heat a lick of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium–low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 5–10 minutes, until the onion is soft, translucent and just starting to brown. If using a leafy green other than baby spinach, add to the pan and cook until wilted, then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Add the cooked veg and herbs and baby spinach, if using, along with the onion mixture and half the grated cheese, and crumbled feta or goat's cheese, if using. Gently mix so that everything is well combined, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish. If using ricotta, dollop this on top and lightly submerge into the rest of the mix.

Top with remaining grated cheese and pumpkin seeds, if using. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until golden and set in the centre. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezes well.

This is an edited extract from Epic Veg by Jessica Prescott. Published by Hardie Grant Books (RRP $49.99).