DON'T BRING A THING........Just Your Appetite!!

How often do you invite people over for dinner
and the first thing they normally ask is....
"What can I bring".....
If your a cook like me you will usually have a menu all
Planned from soup to nuts...
And you really don't need something that might not
Go with what your cooking...
Of Course
The one exception would be Cook Outs....and
Southern BBQ's....
Who wouldn't  always welcome some one's special
Potato Salad....Cole Slaw or
Baked Beans....
or even a simple dessert....
I find that people... when told
"Don't bring a thing....just your appetite"
come with long time favorites
Flowers.....Or
Candy....
But....

then you will hear "Don't bring flowers as a Hostess
Gift"....
The Hostess has to stop what she's doing to put the
Flowers in water and it seems nobody likes to do that...
I'm the exception as I love any kind of flowers and
would welcome them with open arms...
Candy is another iffy item with everyone
seeming to be dieting these days....
So when I invited neighbors over for Sunday
Dinner this past weekend....I was very impressed
by what came along with the company....
Such a clever idea I never would have thought of...
So I'm sharing it with you and hope you'll surprise
someone with this very thoughtful
new take on the ultimate
Hostess Gift.... 

The Next Days Breakfast.....
Yes you read that right....
I was "gifted" with breakfast for
Monday Morning....

Six wonderful little
Italian Frittatas all baked and ready
with Instructions to be re-heated for the next morning..
How did she know that although I love to
Cook....
I hate to cook breakfast food....
Too many dirty pots and pans to clean...

Absolutely wonderful....
Heated in my trusty little Cuisinart
Toaster oven for 15 minutes...
and served with Campari Tomatoes....

The perfect hostess gift....
A break from cooking...
And think about how someone who doesn't
Like to Cook will appreciate this!
Forget the flowers....wine....or candy
Next Time....and Turn to
INA!!

Recipe can be found in her latest book
Or right here!
Bon Appetit and your friends will love you
for it!!

Mini Italian Frittatas...

  2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
  1 1/2 cups chopped leaks, white and light green parts
  4 ounces sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
  8 ounces fresh baby spinach
  2 1/2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
  1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese
  8 extra large eggs
  1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  salt and pepper
  4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a standard 12-cup muffin tin with olive oil, including the top of the pan.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the leeks and saute for 3 minutes, until tender. Add the prosciutto and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking it up with a fork. Add the spinach, tossing with tongs, then cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes, tossing once while it cooks, until the spinach is all wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the basil and lemon juice and set aside while you put together the egg mixture.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper together until blended. Divide the spinach mixture evenly among the 12 muffin cups, leaving an liquid behind. Sprinkle the fontina evenly on top. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the filling in each cup, filling the muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle each frittata with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake the frittatas for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned on top. If you insert a toothpick in the middle, 
they should feel firm. Cool for 5 minutes, remove with a sharp knife, and serve hot or warm.
Frittatas can be re-heated the next day in a 350 degree oven or toaster oven for 15 minutes.