LAWRENCE MURPHY: Red pepper and mushroom frittata

The cheese and ham sandwich will have to stay in the wrapper, sausage rolls are a definite no-no and pastries seem to be in every advert tempting you away from your goal.

One of my favourites is frittata because you can add whatever you fancy. It’s a savoury egg dish originally from Italy, sometimes described as a rich quiche without the pastry. Use this recipe as a base and add any of your favourite ingredients. You can eat it hot or allow it to cool for your lunch box the next day.

Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped

1 long red pepper deseeded and sliced

1 clove garlic sliced

6 chestnut mushrooms sliced

100g spinach

Teaspoon thyme leaves

6 eggs

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Using one tablespoon of olive oil, fry the red pepper for five minutes on a low heat.

2. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook for another three minutes then add the garlic for another two.

3. Remove from the heat and add the thyme and spinach. Mix it all together.

4. Beat the eggs in a bowl, season and add the pepper mix.

5. Rub the remaining olive oil into a deep square dish and line it with parchment paper.

6. Pour in your frittata mix and bake in a preheated oven 180C/gas 4 for 25 minutes until the eggs are puffed up and cooked.

7. Cut into strips or squares and serve.