Photos by Shelly Jimenez
I'm in front of the camera for a change... things are about to get awkward (for me only, you'll be fine)
I've recently had the good fortune of reconnecting with some friends from high school. Sean runs Live in Limbo, a prominent music and lifestyle hub in Toronto. Shelly (she's behind the camera so you'll see her at the end) is a photographer, works in public relations, and does PR for LiL. We recently contributed some recipes to the site so they were kind enough to stop by our studio (read: my kitchen) to cook up a recipe together.
Sean's on a bit of a health kick and of course, we like to cook things that are free from common allergens. So we chose a recipe from Nom Nom Paleo that's free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Prosciutto-wrapped mini frittata muffins are an easy thing to make for any meal of the day, are rich in protein, and taste seriously delicious. All it takes is a few simple ingredients and about 20 minutes of prep time when there are no cameras around.
Sean's a beginner cook so we wanted to keep it really easy for him. What better way to start than by chopping a massive pile of mushrooms and onion? We gave the ingredients a quick fry until everything was softened and lightly browned, then added fresh arugula. The recipe calls for frozen spinach but why not use what we finally have in season!
I call this one "gesturing at food"
Look at all the tomatoes we made Sean cut up!
Naturally we got to talking about what shows we plan to see this summer since we're all music lovers. And then of course that got us into a conversation about food allergies and music festivals because I couldn't resist sharing my story from Bestival last year. In my experience it's been difficult to manage my allergies at music festivals so I've always been more inclined to go to concerts than all day events.
A full day in one location where you aren't allowed to bring in your own food? Sounds like an allergic person's nightmare.
Careful now...
A full day in one location where you aren't allowed to bring in your own food? Sounds like an allergic person's nightmare. I generally manage by showing up later in the afternoon/early evening, eating a lot of high-protein foods beforehand, and trying to smuggle in an Enjoy Life bar or two. Food trucks = very small prep area and usually lots of dairy products, especially cheese, so I never eat from them. After I've had a beer or two I might seek out a pop to balance out that blood sugar. There's no perfect solution but I'm determined to not let that spoil my fun!
You can check out coverage from a ton of awesome shows, festivals, and events at Live in Limbo.
After cutting up the tomatoes and combining the mushroom mixture with egg, coconut, and seasoning, we assembled the mini frittatas. We used prosciutto to line a muffin pan which, in hindsight, I should definitely have oiled first. Then we poured in the egg mixture and baked them until they were golden brown and cooked through.
The mini frittatas pop out of the pan easily and are best served hot. The egg is smooth but firm, while the mushrooms add meatiness and the bright veggies provide a pop of flavor. The prosciutto cup is a nice salty, crunchy vehicle for the whole thing.
"These egg muffins certainly are hilarious, Sean"
There really is nothing like reconnecting with old friends, especially over a hot meal that you made together.
That's all folks!