Finesse a frittata

By Jim Romanoff

For The Associated Press

Health-conscious cooks routinely toss the yolks and stick with the whites when preparing eggs. Good idea? Not necessarily.

Eggs are packed with nutrients, and most of them — vitamins A and E, folate, calcium, iron and lutein — are in the yolks. Sure, yolks also pack dietary cholesterol, but many scientists now think saturated fat is the bigger culprit in raising blood cholesterol.

Besides being loaded with nutrients, eggs are satisfying, so eating them can help you curb between-meal hunger.

Of course, if you’re really trying to limit your fat and cholesterol intake (the yolk does contain all the fat), an egg white omelet or scrambled egg whites are fine. But they can be rubbery and lack the flavor of whole eggs.

A good strategy is to hedge your bets by using some, but not all of the yolks. For instance, prepare an omelet using one whole egg and two egg whites.

When using eggs in baked goods, quiches or custards, you usually can substitute egg whites for up to half of the yolks without substantially changing the dish. Use two egg whites in place of one whole egg.

This Mexican-style frittata calls for a reduced number of egg yolks, yet still has great flavor and texture.

The beaten eggs are combined with reduced-fat shredded cheese and poured over a bed of cooked, diced potatoes and chunky tomato salsa before being slowly baked. To make the dish even faster to prepare, use pre-diced potatoes, which you can find in the refrigerated case in the produce section of most markets.

A wedge of this frittata, served with a salad and some crusty bread, is perfect for a light supper or brunch. It reheats well, so leftovers make a convenient meal the following day.

South-of-the-border frittata

Start to finish: 45 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 6

1 1/2 cups diced red or white potatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chunky tomato salsa

4 large eggs

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup reduced-fat Mexican-style shredded cheese blend

1/2 cup chopped scallions

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, place them in a glass bowl, cover with plastic, then microwave on high until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

Spread the potatoes over the bottom of the pie plate and season with salt. Spoon the salsa over the potatoes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, flour, oregano and pepper until smooth. Stir in the cheese and scallions.

Pour the mixture over the potatoes and salsa. With a fork, gently stir the mixture so the cheese and potatoes are evenly distributed. Bake the frittata for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is set at the center and golden on top. Slice into wedges to serve.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 160 calories; 61 calories from fat; 7 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 133 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 2 g fiber; 509 mg sodium.