Crabmeat and Cheddar Frittata with Eggwhites

A lot of baking goes down in this house, so it was nothing out of the ordinary when I opened up the fridge the other day and saw a two quart mason jar full of liquidly smooth egg whites staring me in the face. Blame my sister, the master baker.

I of course, in true Stanek family fashion, will stand huddled over a chicken carcass until it’s picked dryer than the desert and was not about to let all these beautiful egg whites go to waste. Enter ingenuity!

Crabmeat and Cheddar Frittata, with Egg whites
Serves 4-6
Two tablespoons butter
Small red onion, diced
Two cans, drained, lump crabmeat, or half of one sixteen ounce package
One cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt, pepper, and tarragon, about one teaspoon each
Eight to ten egg whites (depending on size of egg and how many mouths to feed)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grab your trusty cast iron skillet or other oven-safe saute pan (but really, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you aren’t truly living.)

Melt the butter in the pan on medium heat; when melted, add the onion and saute until translucent, about three minutes, then add the crabmeat. It’s already cooked so you want to just warm it through and incorporate the butter and onion flavors. Don’t let it burn or brown too much.

Meanwhile, beat the eggwhites with the salt, pepper, and tarragon. Add the cheddar and incorporate. Pour mixture over the crab and let it set! No touching. Leave it for five to ten minutes, until the bottom and edges are firm. Use this time to assemble a nice green salad for your lovely family. When ready, transfer the pan to the oven for an additional five to ten minutes, until completely cooked through and it doesn’t jiggle when you shake it (jiggling from the cook, however, is encouraged.)

Serve fresh out of the oven or at room temperature (it makes a mean leftover breakfast) with salad or asparagus and toast!

Bread for your frittata…

Don’t Forget Dessert: Yogurt and Egg white Lemon Mousse
4-6 egg whites
One cup yogurt (plain with a teaspoon of vanilla extract mixed in, or simply use vanilla yogurt)
Ten pieces of crystallized ginger, chopped fine (please don’t actually count this…just grab a large handful)
One large whole lemon
About a half a cup of sugar, more or less to taste

Place yogurt in a bowl and zest the lemon over it, the cut it open and juice in both halves, cut side up.

Using an electric mixer (or with a hand whisk if you’re feeling frisky), beat the egg whites on medium. When the volume has increased but the peaks on your beaters are not yet firm, add the sugar. Continue to beak until the peaks on your beaters stand up on their own when turned upright.

Gently fold the eggwhites, in about four batches, into the yogurt mixture, starting from the outside perimeter of the bowl and working your way into the center. Halfway through, fold in the ginger. When all the eggwhites are incorporated, you may eat, or if you have some patience (God bless you), place in the fridge. The liquid may separate, but simply stir it back together, no harm done.