Eggs on the Barbecue

It's a hot day. You want to keep the house cool and not have to turn on the oven to put a meal on the table. Or perhaps everyone else in the family is outside soaking up the sun, and you want to be out there with them. Don't get stuck in the kitchen making meals. Take your cooking outdoors! All of it! Even breakfast. Maybe make something like this Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Frittata!

 

According to a national survey conducted by Weber and referenced in an article recently penned by food writer Rita DeMontis, 51% of the survey participants would be interested in cooking breakfast and brunch on their barbecue. Breakfast and brunch mean eggs to me! Traditionally eggs haven't been the first food that pops into people's minds when contemplating what to throw on the barbecue, but you certainly can use the barbecue to "bake" something like a frittata.....or French toast.....or "fried" eggs in muffin pans. All recipes that could be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Yesterday I decided to try Chef Jamie Perviance's recipe for Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Frittata in Rita's article. I had good success with a few minor adjustments to the recipe. (You can find the original article and recipe in the article link above. My adapted recipe is below.) Since I was too lazy to haul out my blender to whip up the eggs as suggested in the recipe, I used a whisk instead. I substituted milk for the half and half, omitted the garlic (my husband hates garlic!), and reduced the amount of salt (figured there was enough in it already with the cheeses). I also found it took about twice as long to cook both the asparagus (cook time will depend on how thick the asparagus is) and the frittata. If you want to try this recipe, you will need to oven-proof the handle of your frying pan if it's not heat-proof. Do so by wrapping it in a double thickness of foil. Remember to use oven mitts when touching the handle. Try not to peek too often at the frittata as it's baking. This will just let heat escape and slow down the cooking process. One last tip! You may want to take a timer outside with you when cooking on the barbecue. With the table set and a salad made (we were having the frittata for supper), I decided to sit down on the chaise lounge while the frittata cooked. Relaxed and warmed by the sun, it was easy to fall asleep. Thankfully I woke up in time to check on the frittata which was cooked to perfection! Here are a few more links to recipes for cooking eggs on the barbecue: Stuffed Brioche French Toast Barbecued Egg in a Portobello Mushroom Eggs on the Grill (made in muffin pans) Smoked Grilled Eggs from Chef Jeffrey Saad, spokesperson for American Egg Board If you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear about them!

Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Frittata

Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb (250 g) asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Whisk eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until blended. Set aside. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium heat and preheat (grill-adaptable) 10-inch skillet on cooking grate for 3 minutes. Add oil to skillet and then asparagus; toss briefly to coat asparagus. Cook over direct medium heat, with lid closed, for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Arrange asparagus in an even layer, then scatter garlic, tomatoes and feta on top of asparagus. Pour egg mixture into skillet. Close lid of barbecue and cook frittata over direct medium heat until eggs are puffed, browned and firm in the centre, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Chef Jamie Perviance, Time to Grill cookbook by Weber