Breakfast for six? The Aleria Frittata coming right up!

Onboard our boats, we do not believe that a mess constitutes a meal. There is no reason, with an adequate heat source, that you can't enjoy reasonable if not gourmet meals onboard. In fact that was quite easy on our 30-40 foot vessels. It's also easy on our vintage ketch, but it becomes more challenging when we have six people besides ourselves on board, especially on an extended cruise with few chances to provision adequately. Yet, there are some techniques we've perfected to feed a hungry crew and keep them fit and happy while underway. One such meal is the Aleria Frittata. It works particularly well if you have leftover vegetables from a meal the night before.

1 dozen eggs
1/4 cup cream or milk
diced ham
diced vegetables
grated cheese (slices will do also)
sauteed chopped tomato

Heat a large pan gently with butter and a hint of oil to keep the butter from burning. Saute some onions, diced ham (you can get it vaccuum packed), and vegetables like zucchini, peppers, carrots, etc. Do not include tomatoes at this stage because they make the eggs too mushy. Beat eggs lightly (2 eggs each) with cream/half and half/or milk and add spices (salt & pepper, dill, etc). Gently pour into the pan with the vegetables and redistribute the veggies if needed. Turn down the heat and cover the pan with a lid. The eggs will cook top and bottom and you won't have to fold or flip the omelet. The eggs also tend to get very fluffy. As the eggs set, top with separately sauteed chopped tomatoes and grated cheese. You can also use the oven to bake the eggs instead of the stovetop. In that case, do not cover the pan with a lid and make sure the pan and all its parts are oven proof.

Voila, you have a lovely one dish breakfast that is hearty enough for the strongest grinders. Slice the frittata like a pizza in wedges. Serve with slices of bread, and a cold glass of OJ. Ummmmm!