A frittata is an Italian omelet that is typically cooked in olive oil, but I have made some delicious frittatas using only Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil (EPCO). You could use a combination of olive oil and EPCO if you wanted some olive oil flavor.

Many frittata recipes call for browning under the broiler, but this is not necessary. In the old days on the farm in Italy, people didn’t have broilers anyway. The frittata usually has a filling of sautéed, diced vegetables, cheese, sausage, etc. The filling is usually lightly sautéed in the skillet first, then the beaten eggs are added. The finished frittata is sliced into wedges like a pizza and can be eaten warm, room temperature, or cold. It can even be taken on a picnic.

Zucchini Frittata

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil (as much as you need)
• 1/8 red bell pepper, diced finely
• 1 one-inch wedge of red onion, diced finely
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 4 eggs (large)
• salt and pepper (optional)
• grated Asiago cheese (optional)

Directions:

Pour or spoon some EPCO into a 10-inch skillet. Turn heat to medium-low. When the oil is hot but not smoking, sauté red pepper and onion lightly for a couple of minutes; add zucchini and sauté for a few more minutes until golden brown. If necessary, raise heat slightly and add more oil.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, add salt and pepper, and pour into the skillet. Tilt the pan so that eggs cover the entire bottom of skillet. DO NOT STIR eggs! Cook gently, tilting the pan to let some of the uncooked egg run to the bottom of the pan, but do not stir. Repeat a few times until all available runny egg is cooked. Add cheese, if desired.

Cook until golden brown on the bottom. (While cooking the bottom of the frittata, I like to cover the skillet with a lid so that the upper side of the frittata is cooked slightly by the steam). Use a large, flat lid or a dinner plate to flip the skillet over, so that the frittata rests on the lid or plate. Slide the frittata back into the skillet and cook the other side. (Or if that is too awkward, just cut the frittata into wedges at this point and flip the wedges over one at a time).

Other frittata combinations:

Mushroom, Red Onion, and Basil

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs (large)
• about 1/3–1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
• about a 2/3-inch wedge of red onion, chopped
• 3–4 basil leaves

Directions:

Sauté the mushrooms until they start to turn golden; add onion and sauté till mushrooms are slightly browned. Snip the basil leaves into the beaten egg yolks along with salt and pepper. Continue as directed above.

Mushroom, Asiago, and Chives

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs (large)
• about 1/3–1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
• about 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
• about 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions:

Sauté mushrooms until very golden brown. Meanwhile, beat eggs and snip chives into egg mixture. Add pepper and just a touch of salt (Asiago is already somewhat salty). Raise heat, pour eggs into pan, and tilt pan. Spread cheese on top and cover pan. Continue as usual.

Recipe submitted by Simi, Los Angles, CA.

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I emphasize the salt step because it really is important. The salt really brings out the chocolate flavor. The reason for being so fussy over the salt instead of just adding more cacao powder is that without the right amount of salt, you can easily add too much chocolate and end up with a thick, extra-dark chocolate (not in a good way, though), bitter goop. Follow these steps for a super easy, decadent, pretty healthy fudge sauce with a rich chocolate fudge taste that is sweet but not sickeningly so.

Honey-Sweetened Hot Fudge Sauce

Yield: 8 ounces of thick, creamy, velvety hot fudge sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• 3 tablespoons (heaping) raw honey (or more, to taste)
• 3 tablespoons (heaping) Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 tablespoons organic 100% cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Salt

Directions:

Place butter, honey, and coconut oil in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat. Whisk to combine. Add remaining ingredients. Start out with the smaller amount of salt.

Whisk mixture thoroughly to combine. Sample and adjust sweetness and chocolaty-ness to taste. If chocolate flavor seems muted, add more salt, increasing by a few grains at a time until chocolate flavor is deep and fudgy. You should not ever be able to taste salt in the sauce. The salt really enhances the chocolate flavor, so don’t skip it! Just go slowly and measure as you go to record the final amount used to know for your next batch! As a guideline, I used about 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon in mine, but this will vary a lot with personal taste.

Store sauce in fridge in a glass jar. Sauce sets up in the fridge but is soft-set, similar to the consistency of nonrefrigerated PB and is—yes—spreadable straight out of the fridge! Or gently reheat sauce for “hot fudge.”

Variation: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons slightly warmed Toasted Coconut Cream to the above recipe during main mixing step for a rich toasted coconut-fudge sauce—if you dare!

Recipe submitted by Jerri, Monroe, LA.

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No-Bake, Almond/Coconut Energy Morsels

Ingredients:

• 1 cup assorted raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans)
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan Salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Directions:

Chop raw nuts so they are in small, chunky pieces. Place in a bowl and mix in shredded coconut.

Lightly heat almond butter and coconut oil until melted, add honey, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Mix almond meal into liquid mixture and fold in the nuts and coconut. Add dried berries last and mix well.

Form mixture into little morsels and store on plate in refrigerator. Wrap in wax paper to carry with you (in case the oil melts a bit in a warm climate) for an afternoon energy boost!

Recipe submitted by Linda, Brooklyn, NY

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