Asian-style Egg-white Frittata

For a while it all went swimmingly well, and then, suddenly, not so much.

The first two weeks i cooked and wrote and worked out in a frenzy, with five posts in my blog and four pounds lost to show for it. And then as suddenly as it started, my recipes were backfiring, my diet went out of the window and the pounds stopped coming off. And as if it could get any worse, last night, I sat up and gobbled down a full can of dulce de leche (which I'd made myself!- talk about digging your own grave! huh!) and then had nightmares of calorie monsters proliferating like cancer cells inside my body. Yeah, obsessed is the word.

But today, a marathon of motivating, mood-uplifting food movies later, I'm back on track. Fried Green Tomatoes, Julie and Julia, Eat Drink Man Woman... Permanent fixtures on my DVD rack that I'll never tire of watching! Not only does it have some crazy-delectable food scenes , but the overall feel-goodness of these movies are impossible to ignore! Seriously, go watch them right now, if you haven't already! Also, do let me know of your favourite food movies so that i can watch them as well! :)

Anyways. Without further ado... the recipe for the day - Asian Egg-white Frittata

Okay, so, i just wanted an excuse to use my latest pride and joy in the kitchen - my brand new cast iron skillet. Or maybe i didn't know what do with all that stuff i brought home after going crazy in the Asian aisle of the supermarket last week.

Whatever it might be, the result, i have to say, with all modesty, is RIDONKULOUSLY good! And not to mention, a weight watcher's dream. So healthy, and so friggin' tasty. Its almost unreal. 

Asian flavour base : the usual suspects - Thai green chillies, lemon grass, shallots, spring onion, ginger (if you manage to get galangal, thats the best, i didn't, so i had to make do with ginger) and garlic.

Some shitake mushrooms, soft tofu and spinach.

And finally, eight egg whites seasoned with salt and pepper. ( i was tempted to add some thick coconut milk to add to the Asian tropical flavour and make the frittata more creamy, but decided against it and stuck to the healthier version)

I served it with some Chinese dipping sauce I'd made for a party earlier. But ketchup would do. And chances are that you'd have three quarters of it directly from the pan, before you remember to take the sauce out of the fridge. It's that delicious.

Asian-style Egg-white Frittata

8 egg whites
1 sprig of lemon grass
1 sprig spring onion
2 shallots/button onions
1 inch piece ginger (or galangal, if you can lay your hands on it)
1 clove garlic
3 green chillies
3/4 cup shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup soft tofu
1 bunch of spinach
1 table spoon oil (i used peanut oil, but you can use whatever you have in your kitchen)
Salt and pepper to taste

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Finely chop the ginger, garlic, shallots, green onion and lemon grass

3. Wipe mushrooms clean and slice them into medium sized pieces (Never wash mushrooms- they get all waterlogged n mushy!) Wash spinach and julienne into thin strips. Crumble tofu into bite sized pieces

4. Heat the oil in your skillet/pan and add the chopped ginger, garlic, onion and lemon grass. Saute for a minute or two.

5. Add mushrooms and saute till brown. Then, add spinach and saute till they are wilted

6. In the meantime, separate egg whites from the yolks, add salt and pepper, and whisk well until mixed properly.

7.Once the mushroom and spinach are done, add the whisked egg whites to the skillet. Gently stir the contents (without scraping the bottom) so that the mushroom, spinach and the rest of the ingredients and scattered evenly through the frittata.

8. Cover the skillet with foil, place it in the middle rack of your oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, so that the top is lightly browned.

9. Slice and serve warm.

[PS: I've made frittatas before i had an oven- all you have to do is close the pan with its lid and reduce the flame to a minimum after adding the egg whites, so that the frittata cooks evenly. The bottom might getting a little over-browned and crispy, but thats tasty too! ]