Have you ever thought about how food and beauty are linked?  My friend Connie from “The Beauty Nerd” and I started a new series called “Beauty Eats” last week. In this series, we will explore foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics that will leave you with a healthy radiance! If you missed last week’s Beauty Eats post , you can find it here.

In this week’s post, you’ll find an easy recipe for a healthy frittata that tastes as good as it looks. It’s a dish that works well for brunch and can even be paired with grilled chicken for a hearty lunch or dinner.

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For the second recipe of the Beauty Eats series, I wanted to create a brunch item that wouldn’t take hours in the kitchen, but would seem special. This frittata recipe is easy to make and is a good way to change up the usual brunch routine. For those of you who haven’t had a frittata before, it’s basically an open-faced omelette that is cooked slowly. Frittatas are thicker than omelettes and are usually sliced into wedges before serving.

The cooking technique involves heating the eggs in a skillet on low heat to set the bottom of the frittata. This is followed by cooking the top under a broiler until golden brown and delicious. The possibilities are endless with frittatas – you can experiment with different vegetables and even add chicken or fish to them!

Frittatas are great way to have a high-protein meal with plenty of vegetables. This dish includes omega-3 eggs, cherry tomatoes and asparagus for a healthy start to your day! To add a twist, serve the frittata with a lemon-thyme sauce that adds a touch of acidity to balance the dish.

Ingredients

serves 2-3

Produce/Fridge

1 small onion, finely chopped

8 stalks of asparagus

8 cherry tomatoes

4 omega-3 eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 tbsp garlic paste

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 lemon, juiced

Step 1: Prepare the lemon-thyme sauce by mixing the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Mix well and transfer to a small saucepan. Heat the mixture on medium-high for 4-6 minutes until it reduces to half. Allow the sauce to cool and add a splash of olive oil. Mix well and set aside.

Note: The sauce should thicken as it cools.

Step 2: Remove the woody ends from the asparagus stalks and chop at an angle.  Slice the cherry tomatoes in half (length-wise).

Step 3: Break the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk lightly. Add the milk, salt and pepper and whisk well.

Step 4: Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet/pan on medium-high *.  Add the onions and fry until golden brown. Then add the asparagus and garlic paste and heat on medium for three minutes.

*Ensure the pan is fully greased with the olive oil to prevent the eggs from sticking.

Step 5: Turn the heat to medium-low and pour the egg-milk mixture into the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the eggs start to set at the bottom. In the meanwhile, preheat the oven on the broiler setting.

Step 6: Arrange the cherry tomatoes (chopped side down) on the frittata and sprinkle the feta chesse evenly. Place the pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. You’re done!

Allow the frittata to cool and remove it by sliding it out of the pan. Serve with the lemon-thyme sauce.

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Miss Beauty Nerd’s beauty tidbits:

Skin allergies beware! Chow down on this pre- and probiotic loaded breakfast for healthy, resilient skin!

Cherry tomatoes: Contains the red carotenoid, lycopene, an antioxidant known to protect the skin against photo-damage and environmental pollutants. Studies have shown that increasing your intake of lycopene can lead to smoother skin.1

Asparagus: Offers a good source of inulin, which is a prebiotic. Not familiar with prebiotics? Essentially, it is the food necessary for “good” bacteria to thrive. Having the “good” bacteria fight off the “bad” can have positive implications forthose suffering from acne or skin sensitivities. Asparagus is also known to contain a wealth of anti-inflammatory phyto-nutrients and various other antioxidants including vitamin C, beta-carotene, zinc, manganese and selenium.

Omega-3 eggs: An optimal level of omega-3 essential fatty acids is required for skin health. If you catch yourself complaining about dry skin, brittle nails, or excessive hair loss, it’s time to amp up on your omega-3 intake! Select omega-3 eggs to help you out…

Thyme: A good antioxidant to help you scavenge those free radicals. And the aroma is oh-so-lovely!

Let us know how it goes – leave a comment!

1 Maxim Darwin et al, Charite-University of Medicine in Berlin; Cutaneous Concentration of Lycopene
Correlates Significantly with the Roughness of the Skin, European journal of pharmaceutics andbiopharmaceutics , 2009.