Eat the Rainbow Frittata

Eating Paleo isn't just about the things that you DON'T eat, but rather its about eating a variety of healthy foods in order to obtain a wide range of vitamins and nutrients. Common sicknesses and ailments are not only caused by eating foods that cause inflammation (like grains, legumes, and sugar), but also by NOT eating nutrient dense foods, which can lead to a deficiency in the body. A phrase that is often heard in the real food world is "Eat the Rainbow." Fruits and vegetables are different colors because of the different nutrients that they contain. To learn more, read this interesting post from Mark's Daily Apple entitled "Why you Should Eat Brightly Colored Fruits and Vegetables." As a chef, I also love to use many different colorful ingredients in a dish because I know that we eat with our eyes first.

If you notice, some of the vegetables I used are organic and some aren't. When I buy produce, I try to stick to the guidelines recommended by "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean Fifteen" lists. Do yourself a favor and read that article to familiarize yourself with the most pesticide ridden fruits and veggies, and also the fruits and veggies that you don't necessarily need to splurge on. For a while, I had these lists taped to my fridge while I was memorizing them. It can also be a conversation starter for guests in your house, kids, or even your spouse so that you can start spreading the word about the importance of pesticide free, healthy produce. (Note: you will see that corn is on the "Clean Fifteen" list -- corn is not paleo, and for the record, it is not a vegetable dummy, it's a grain, so don't eat it!)

Eat the Rainbow Frittata
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 pound of good quality sausage (I used Pastured Pork Hot Italian Links from Polyface Farms)
1 1/2 cups of diced red onion
1/2 cup diced organic red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced organic green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow summer squash
1 cup of chopped organic broccoli florets
2 cups of peeled and shredded sweet potatoes
8 good quality eggs (I used pastured eggs from Polyface Farms)
1/2 teaspoon of Salt, plus more to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of organic granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon of organic paparika
1-2 tablespoons of duck fat*, divided, or other desired healthy cooking fat (such as lard, coconut oil, or ghee)

Directions:

1. Remove the sausage from the casings, and brown in a medium sized cast iron pan. Once cooked, remove the sausage from the pan and reserve to a large bowl, but leave the grease in the pan.
2. Next, sautee the onions and peppers in the same pan over medium high heat for about 5-10 minutes until they are softened and starting to caramelize. Season them with a pinch of salt and pepper to help flavor them, and also to allow them to release some of their water, so that they can start to brown. Remove them to the same bowl as your cooked sausage.
3. Next add the diced yellow squash and chopped broccoli to the pan and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. You may need to add a few teaspoons of duck fat if the pan is too dry. Also season this batch of veggies with a pinch of sea salt and fresh pepper. Remove cooked squash and broccoli to the same bowl as the sausage, onions and peppers.
4. Add two more teaspoons of fat to the pan and add the sweet potatoes, again seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes to partially cook the sweet potatoes, and make sure to stir often so that the sweet potatoes don't stick. Remove the cooked sweet potatoes to that same bowl. (See a theme?)
5. In a seperate bowl, wisk together the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, another large pinch of fresh ground pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Fold in the cooked veggies and sausage and quickly pour back into the same cast iron pan.
6. Bake in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes until the eggs are cooked through. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

You can serve this for breakfast, of course, but to round out this dish for lunch or dinner, fix a small side salad with tomatoes, avocados, and organic lettuce, simply dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I swear, us Paleo Peeps eat #morevegetablesthanavegetarian :) 

*You can find duck fat in the poultry section at most Whole Foods Markets. You can also order good quality duck fat from a new company, Fatworks, however I have not personally tried it. I hear from other Paleo Peeps that it is the bomb, and I keep meaning to try it!