On Sunday night I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to make for dinner – eggs, hamburgers, or just give up and make PB&J. I decided on an Olive Frittata and Tomato Bean Stoup from the 2-4-6-8 Great Meals for Couples or Crowds cookbook by Rachael Ray (p. 56-57). I like how she’s divided the recipes into how many people each will serve, although I tend to focus mainly on the “4” section. (I’ll admit I’m the queen of leftovers for lunch the next day.) This meal was listed in the “2” section, but it ended up making enough for 4 people.
This was the first time I’ve ever made a frittata from the stove to the oven, and it turned out great! I used the small skillet from Rachael Ray’s cookware line, which is the only skillet I have that is oven-safe (up to 400 degrees). I started the frittata on the stove and finished it up in the oven, and it was much faster than making it in the oven from the start. The frittata had a nice blend of green olives, roasted red peppers, and onions, with a creamy finish from the eggs. Next time I’ll fold the eggs more evenly on the stove so it has a flatter surface on top when it goes in the oven.
The stoup was wonderful because it had a great combination of fresh and canned ingredients. The red pepper flakes added a spicy note to the stoup without overwhelming it, and the mixture of beans and vegetables made the consistency of the dish hearty enough to stand on its own. I can see a wide range of possibilities with the tomato sauce/chicken broth/garlic/red pepper flakes base – for example, the recipe called for a 15-oz. can of small white beans, which I didn’t have, but a substitution of a can of soy beans worked equally as well.
Aspiring Gourmet 
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