Red Pepper, Asparagus and Spinach Frittata

I've made some variation of this dish at least 4 times in the past 2 weeks (which may not sound like a lot, but I hate to repeat meals within memory...what can I say, I like variety). It's been great for those days when I'm totally in a rush for dinner, but still want to manage to get some veggies in for the day: voila, a frittata. But what is it?

Think of a frittata like an omelet. An Italian omelet. It can have any combination of meats, cheese and vegetables and is usually first cooked in a pan on the stove and finished off in the oven. But unlike your typical omelet, in a frittata, the vegetables are cooked first. Once softened, you add the egg/cheese mixture and cook until the egg is firm. Some frittatas (like this one) are broiled briefly to fluff and brown the top. And I'd eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Red Pepper, Asparagus and Spinach Frittata
Recipe by Kelly
Pictures by Caroline

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces*
1 bunch asparagus (about a 2 inch bunch), chopped into small pieces
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
4 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white cheese (like mozzarella, fontina, or parmesan)

1. Heat oil in large oven-safe skillet. Add bell pepper, asparagus and onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add spinach and cover for 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper and cheese in a small bowl. Preheat oven to broil.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook about 2 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated from the pan. Add egg mixture, but do not stir! Gently spread some of the egg mixture through the pan, if needed.
4. Cook about 10 minutes, until eggs are mostly firm when you shake the pan. Place pan in oven and broil 2 minutes. Eggs should be firm and just barely starting to brown.

*Mushrooms, arugula, green pepper, zucchini, or your other favorite vegetable would be a fine substitute for any of the vegetables in this frittata.