Mexican Hot Chocolate Tart - Published

This totally rocks! I just need to adjust the cinnamon so that it comes out more in the flavour.
If anyone else is like me, little changes just briefly mentioned are easily forgotten. I'm including the pie crust recipe because in my second attempt I forgot to put in the cinnamon!!! So I'm adding the crust recipe in with the filling.

Jan 11 2015 - I used crème fraîche instead of cream and it appears to make a lighter filling, a little fluffy. 3/4 of a tsp of cinnamon appears to be the correct amount. I also used white wheat flour made from our new Vittorio flour mill and it made a very light and delicious crust, but very fragile.

March 1 2015 - Uploaded to La Mouffette Gourmande

Crust
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons + cold water

NOTE: The pastry needs time to cool in the refrigerator not once, but twice, for about 15 minutes each time, and then another 15 minutes to pre-bake in the oven, a total of about 45 minutes.

1. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and pinch with your fingers to create a crumb texture (it's like playing in sand).
2. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the vanilla and water. Quickly work in the flour to create dough. Do not over-mix. 
3. Pat into a thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough, line the tart shell, and chill another 15 minutes. 
5. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
6. Bake the shell for about 15 minutes or until the crust is ever-so-lightly browned.

Filling
6 oz (170g) 70% chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne

3 egg yolks

Cocoa powder for dusting

1. Heat the oven to 325F.
2. Bring the cream and milk to a very slow boil in a saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and the chopped chocolate, stirring to melt the chocolate completely.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the yolk, sugar and cayenne until yolk turns a pale yellow.
5. Very slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Do this slowly; this is to gradually increase the temperature of the egg and avoid making scrambled eggs with the hot liquid.
6. Strain the mixture into the baked tart shell.
7. Bake about 35 - 40 minutes or until set. The pie will puff up a bit when it is cooked, and will settle again as it cools.
8. Let it cool completely, which can take a few hours.
9. Only once it is completely cooled, dust with cocoa powder. If you dust it before this, the surface will still be hot and damp and the powder will just get wet.
10. Delicious accompanied by a fresh sprig of currants or other tart fruit.

Test 2 - Popovers

Now I'm questioning the added pat of butter in the bottom. I was putting in 1/4 tsp in each muffin cup, but what happens if I butter the tins and don't preheat them?


2 Tbsps. butter, melted
1 cup milk, warmed slightly

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

More butter for buttering the tins (about 1/4 cup)

1. Place oven rack at second-from-bottom level. 
2. Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
3. Melt the butter and allow to cool a bit.
4. Warm the milk a bit (microwave for 30 secs) to prevent the butter from congealing.
5. Whisk together the butter and warm milk, add the eggs and, when uniform, add the flour and salt; continue to whisk until it's a lovely smooth consistency.
6. Butter each muffin cup in the tin.
7. With a 1/4 cup measure, distribute the batter among the tins (I use a muffin tin with 12 cups) and pop into the oven. 
8. Bake for 25 minutes; then bake for another 10 minutes at 325F. Serve immediately with butter and jam or, stuff into the middle a square of chocolate - it will melt.

Untested - Sole Meunière

This seems like the most reasonable base for the recipe.
4 filets of sole, about 4 ounces each

1/2 cup flour

4 + 2 tablespoons butter divided

juice and zest of three lemons

about 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

additional lemon, to serve

Salt and cracked pepper, to taste

1. Dredge the filets in flour until well-coated.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over a medium flame until the butter begins to foam and brown.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, then place the floured filets of sole into the hot butter and fry on each side about two minutes.
4. Remove the fish from the skillet and plate them.
5. Heat additional two tablespoons butter in the skillet until melted, then add lemon zest, lemon juice and minced parsley to the skillet whisking together to combine for about one minute.
6. Pour sauce over the fish, season with salt and pepper and garnish with lemon wedges.

Untested - Greek Fillet of Sole

1 lb. sole fillets, cut in half crosswise

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsps fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsps olive oil

1/2 Tbsp butter

1. Combine half of lemon slices, wine, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish to marinate the fish at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Whisk together the egg, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another shallow dish. Stir together bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.
3. Dip the fish pieces in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in bread-crumb mixture, shaking off excess. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper, arranging fish in 1 layer.
4. Heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking (the butter should just stop frothing), then fry 2 pieces of fish, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Serve the fish decorated with the remaining lemon slices.

Untested - Lemon Sole

Two 4 oz skinless sole or flounder fillets

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup flour

1 + 3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons water

1 tsp flat-leaf parsley, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1. Preheat a non-stick skillets over medium-low heat for a few minutes.
2. Meanwhile wash, and completely dry the fillets with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. If the fillets taper down to a very thin tail, fold the tail back to make a more uniformly shaped fillet.
3. Dredge the fillets in the flour and shake off any excess.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of butter to each skillet. When the butter stops foaming, add fillets to the pan, rounded-side down.
5. Gently shake the pan occasionally, until the fish is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, flip the fillets with a spatula, and let them finish cooking in the residual heat of the pan, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fillets to warm plates and keep them warm.
6. Add the lemon juice and water to the pan. While moving the skillet in a circular motion, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, until it's melted and a smooth, creamy sauce is formed. Stir in the parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon some of the sauce over each fillet and serve immediately.

Testing - Red Wine Cranberry Sauce

2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 package fresh or frozen cranberries (about 12 oz.)

1. In a saucepan over moderate heat, combine the sugar, red wine and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the wine is reduced slightly.
2. Add the cranberries. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are soft and the sauce has thickened.
3. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Untested - Pear and Blue Cheese Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. halved fresh Brussels sprouts

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

½ cup blue cheese crumbles

2 pears, sliced and chopped

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add Brussels sprouts, cut-side down, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Without stirring, cook, covered, for about 7 minutes.
3. Uncover and add walnuts and pears, stirring to reveal the caramelized Brussels sprouts. Continue cooking for about 3 more minutes.
4. Take off of heat and add blue cheese crumbles.

Untested - Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Blue Cheese and Bacon

½ lb. Brussels sprouts

2 strips of bacon

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup blue cheese crumbles

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 sprigs of thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon until crispy and set aside
2. Wash and cut the brussel sprouts in half
3. Re-heat the pan with the bacon drippings on medium high heat, add brussel sprouts to pan, cut side down
4. Flip brussel sprouts once they’ve turned golden brown, about 6 minutes
5. Add chicken stock and cook uncovered until the stock is all soaked into the sprouts, about 10-12 minutes
6. While the sprouts are cooking, cook balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan over medium high heat until reduced by half, 6-8 minutes
7. Crumble the bacon.
8. Toss together the cooked brussel sprouts, bacon, blue cheese crumbles, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl.
9. Dish sprouts onto a plate, drizzle the balsamic reduction over the sprouts.

Untested - Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Blue Cheese

1 lb brussels sprouts, stems removed, halved

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

4 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped

2 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, combine brussels sprouts, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Toss to coat.
3. Arrange Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook bacon (or pancetta) over medium heat, until crispy.
5. When Brussels sprouts are cooked through, remove from the oven, add the bacon (pancetta) and toss to combine.Top with crumbled blue cheese.

Untested - Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced or quartered
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices double smoked bacon (omit for vegetarian)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Toss the brussels sprouts in the oil along with the garlic, salt and pepper, place in in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes, mixing them up half way through.
2. Meanwhile cook the bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels before crumbling.
3. Sprinkle on the parmesan and return to the oven until it melts, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Toss the brussels sprouts with the bacon and lemon zest, and lemon juice and enjoy!

Tip: Make a few hours ahead and rewarm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

Untested - Quick Puff Pastry

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_puff_pastry.php


Makes 1lb/500g

1 cup cold butter

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup cold water

1. Cut butter into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes; set aside 3/4 cup (175 mL) in refrigerator. In food processor, blend flour with salt. Sprinkle remaining butter over top; pulse until indistinguishable, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with reserved butter; pulse 4 or 5 times to cut into pea-size pieces.
2. Pour water evenly over mixture (not through feed tube). Pulse 6 to 8 times until loose ragged dough forms (do not let form ball). Transfer to floured waxed paper; gather and press into rectangle. Dust with flour; top with waxed paper. Roll out into 15- x 12-inch (38 x 30 cm) rectangle.
3. Remove top paper. Starting at long edge and using bottom paper to lift pastry, fold over one-third; fold opposite long edge over top, bringing flush with edge of first fold to make 15- x 4-inch (38 x 10 cm) rectangle. Starting from 1 short end, roll up firmly; flatten into 5-inch (12 cm) square. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Marinated Eggs - PUBLISHED

I made this once as part of a picnic I put together for some friends, and they went nuts for it. I made it again for an office potluck and people went wild for it. I think I'm onto something good.
1 - You can halve the recipe for the marinade and still cover 6 eggs, but half (or three quarters) of the pleasure in eating this is the marinade itself! If you want any leftover to plop more eggs in for a second go, make the full recipe. However, don't re-use the marinade too often because the parsley is fresh and will start to go off.
2 - I think this is ready for the main blog. One more test to make sure I can reproduce it!

6 hardboiled eggs
2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup finely chopped parsley

1 head of garlic, peeled and minced

6 anchovies, minced 

1. Boil the eggs to the hard-boiled stage (see Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs). Allow the to cool completely.
2. Put the cooled hardboiled eggs in a jar with a lid.
3. Beat the tomato paste and oil together, then the garlic and anchovies, and finally the parsley. Pour the concoction over the eggs.
4. Screw on the lid and refrigerate overnight.
5. Eat the eggs with the oil, preferably with some crusty bread. It's best to let the concoction come up to room temperature if the oil has congealed in the refrigerator overnight, and to let the aroma blossom as it should when you serve it. Excellent with crusty bread.
6. Best when eaten within 2 days.

Testing - Creamed Brussels Sprouts Gratin

I ended up leaving it too long in the oven, so the cheese on top got a little over done, but the Brussels sprouts got all soft, which I typically don't like, but in this instance it went really well with the creaminess of the dish.

1/2 lb bacon

2 tbsps butter

2 1/2 lb brussels sprouts

1 minced small onion

2 cups cream

salt and pepper

6 oz grated Gruyere

1. Cook the bacon down in butter until it browned bits start to form on the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the sprouts (when buying or harvesting sprouts, try to choose small, tight, dense heads, the smaller the better. If they're the size of a quarter, you can leave them whole. Anything bigger, cut in half or quarters.
3. So here, should I stir-fry the sprouts for about 5 minutes, or just enough to scrape up the browned bits of bacon at the bottom of the pan? Although it's ok if the sprouts brown, it's just not necessary since the bacon will be all the browning flavour you'll need.
4. Add the minced shallot, and stir until it's just softened and aromatic, about 1 minute. Turn down the heat and take the pan off the element to cool things down before adding the cream. This will prevent scalding the cream.
5. Add the cream to the cooled pan and reintroduce to the heat source. Scrape up all remaining browned bits. Bring it to a slow boil and then reduce the temperature for a slow simmer.
6. Allow the cream to slowly reduce to about half it's original volume, and the Brussels sprouts are softened. The loose cream will have turned into, well, a creamy sauce. Add the salt and pepper.
7. You could stop here, and serve immediately.
8. Or you could add a layer of Gruyère. At this stage you can opt to cover up the casserole and refrigerate it, to finish baking later.
9. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425F, adjusting the rack to the centre position, and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted and spotted with brown.

(Sort of) Aligot - PUBLISHED

Aligot is a dish created by the monks of Aubrac, France. The traditional cheese is a "Tome d'Aubrac". I still have to experience this cheese, but from online references, it appears that Gruyère cheese is a suitable substitute. I like my Gruyère! Apart from the cheese substitution, this is a completely bastardized version - I use about a third of the cheese in traditional versions, which makes for cheesy mashed potatoes, but oh, so good!

NOTE: Substituting with Swiss cheese does not produce as good a product. Gruyere is the appropriate substitute for the tome.

2 lbs potatoes (preferably old potatoes, which are best for mashing)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup crème fraîche (for mildness) or Greek yoghurt (for a little tang)
2/3 cup Gruyère, about 2 oz. (or 2 cups for traditional version)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed

1. Peel and boil the potatoes for 12 minutes. If you have a vegetable mill, run the potatoes through this, or press with a spoon through a sieve (you can add the butter and crème fraîche and do an initial mash to make the potatoes more liquid, which helps with this part if you're doing it by hand).
2. (If you haven't already) Add the butter and crème fraîche.
3. Cut the cheese in thin slices (or grate).
4. Put the potato mixture back in a pan and add a bit of the cheese at-a-time, mixing always in a clockwise motion. The cheese will start to melt.
5. Meantime, add the salt, pepper and pressed garlic.
6. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese has completely melted.
7. (If using the traditional volume of cheese, cook until the mixture stretches in a thick rope when you lift the spoon out of the pan - this is the sign that it's ready. Do not overheat or heat too long as this effect will cease.)

The Day After

If you have leftovers, add an egg or two depending on how much you have, and shape into patties to fry up on the stove.

Untested - Tourtière

0 - A)Try using Panko instead of soda crackers B)Try my savory pie crust as the crust C) figure the recipe for 1 or 2 pies instead of 6 D) Try using a blend of veg used for making a mirepoix (ie: equal parts carrot, onion and celery) to increase the aromatics E) Vérifie avec Maman si les épices qu'elle m'a donné sont ses épices originales ou récentes.

Makes 6 pies

4½ lbs ground pork
1½ lbs ground beef
2 cups finely chopped onion
1½ cups water
1½ tsp nutmeg or allspice
3/4 tsp mace
3 tsps ground clove
4 large potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 cup dry bread crumbs (or crumbled soda biscuits)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together the meats, onion and water. In a wide pan, such as a lasagna dish, spread out the mixture. Bake, mixing often to break up the ground meat as much as possible. After 1 hour, add salt and pepper, mix, and bake another ½ hour. 
2. Allow to cool and remove as much accumulated fat as possible. 
3. Thoroughly mix in the mashed potatoes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pie dough. Divide evenly and sprinkle the bread crumbs on the bottom of each pie crust base.
5. When the potato has been mixed into the meat preparation, increase the oven temperature to 425F. Divide the meat preparation evenly between the 6 pies.
6. Cover with pie dough and poke air vents on top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 350F for another 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
8. NOTE: If freezing pies, reheat and crisp the crust, preheat the oven to 400F. Put in the pie(s) frozen and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350F and bake an additional 40 minutes.

La recette orginiale, comme reçu de Maman:

4½ livres de porc pour 1½ livres de bœuf = 6 tourtières
1/3 de tasse oignon par livre de viande
¼ de tasse d’eau par livre de viande
Cuire au four à 350 degrés F pour 1½ à 2 heures (surveille bien et mélange pendant la cuisson pour défaire la viande en petits grumeaux. Je fais cuire moins longtemps, environ 30 minutes si je me souviens bien).
Environ ½ heure avant la fin de la cuisson, ajouter sel et poivre au goût et :
¼  c. à thé noix de muscade  (ou allspice) par livre de viande
1/8 c. à thé macis (ou coriandre) par livre de viande
½  c. à thé clou girofle par livre de viande
(J’ai changé les épices pour répondre aux exigences des régimes des dernières années)
Ajouter 4 grosses patates pour 6 livres de viande pour absorber le gras. Refroidir et dégraisser. Préparer l’abaisse de pâte en mettant des biscuits soda en miettes au fond de l’abaisse et ensuite sur le dessus de la viande avant de mettre la pâte du dessus.
Faire cuire 15 minutes à 425 degrés F suivi de 350 degrés F pour 25 à 30 minutes.« Les tourtières congelées deviennent délicieusement croustillantes si elles sont mises au four 25 minutes à 400 degrés F, puis à 350 degrés F pendant 40 minutes. » tiré du Livre de recettes Châtelaine, 2ième édition Janvier 1969.
(Recette combinée de Ghisèle Noël de Tilly-Maurice, Marie-Thérèse Lambert-Noël de Tilly, Maria Ladouceur-Maurice et Marielle Maurice-Laurin)
Pour substituer poulet ou dinde au porc : 3 lbs de bœuf à 1½ à 2 lbs. de poulet ou dinde hachée.
Petits faits historiques : la recette de ma mère ne comprenait que du porc et les épices notées, pas de bœuf ni de patates. J’ai ajouté le bœuf et les patates d’après la recette de Mémère et Marielle. Je ne sais pas au juste ce que Marielle a contribué dans la recette, juste que Mémère m’avait dit que c’était une recette de Marielle aussi.

Testing - Braised Steak with Mushroom Wine Sauce

We tried the eye of round steaks. What a difficult cut of meat to prepare! I will try with another cut of beef next time... sort of anything would be better.

16 oz steaks, (trying Boneless Blade Steak)
2 Tb + 2 Tb olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
3/4 pound chanterelles (or 1 lb button mushrooms)
¼ cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chopped thyme (or 1/4 tsp dry thyme)
1 cup dry red wine
1 can beef broth
½ cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, to serve

1. Heat a large skillet with a lid to medium heat.  Add oil.  Sauté onions and garlic until browned.  Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release some juices.  Remove from pan.  
2. Mix flour with salt and pepper and dredge steaks in flour, shaking off excess.  Heat remaining oil in the pan to medium high.  Brown steaks on both sides. 
3. Add onion-mushroom mixture, thyme, merlot, and beef broth.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for one hour, or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. 
4. When meat is done, add whipping cream, stir, and cook uncovered until sauce thickens slightly.  Season again with salt and pepper, stir in fresh rosemary, and serve.
5. This dish is good with wide egg noodles. Could also try with any potato dish, or rice.

Spaghetti Frittata - PUBLISHED

This is good, but a bit challenging. I've tried the 10" stainless steel pan but it stuck and flipping it was a mess. I tried the non-stick deep pan but it made it too thick and flipping it was a mess. What next, short of buying a 10" non-stick pan?

1 - Would chunky pasta work?
2 - Yes, chunky pasta works quite nicely.
3 - I made it in a large non-stick pan with chunky pasta, and the egg didn't cover the noodles. I think it has to be 10" or less for the egg to puff up and cover. Let's see, next time.
4 - Yes an 8" pan is better. AND using fresh pasta instead of reconstituted is just amazingly better!
5 - I flipped it onto a plate once it was perfectly cooked and served lkke that - it made an attractive dome of lightly browned goodness.

8 ounces/4 cups cooked spaghetti pasta (preferably fresh)
2 strips bacon cut into lardons
3 onions, chopped
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup milk or crème fraîche
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tsps chopped fresh thyme or basil (or 1/4 tsp dried sage)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided

1. Heat an 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and when it just starts to sizzle, lower the temperature and add the onion. Cook stirring occasionally until the bacon just starts to brown and the onion is mostly caramelized (this can take a while). Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites and dairy in a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture (if it's still hot simply add a little at a time and stir constantly to avoid the hot onions cooking the eggs into clumps). Add the pasta. Mix it up well to evenly distribute the onions, bacon and herbs.
4. Oil the pan, pour in the frittata mixture and place over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle over it the additional 1/4 cup Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until the custard has set.
5. Put under the broiler until the top starts to brown and bubble. 
6. Serve immediately.

1. Heat oil in an 10 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and when it just starts to render its oil lower the temperature to medium-low and add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon just starts to brown and the onion is mostly caramelized (this can take a while) golden. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and dairy in a large bowl. Stir in the onions, Parmesan, parsley, thyme herbs, salt, and pepper. Add the onion mixture (if it's still hot, simply add a little at a time and stir the eggs constantly to avoid creating a clump of cooked egg). Add the spaghetti pasta. Mix it up well to evenly distribute the onions, bacon and herbs.
4. Oil the pan, pour in the frittata mixture and place over medium heat for about Pour in the egg mixture and distribute evenly. Cook until the underside is golden, moving the pan around on the burner to ensure even cooking, about 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle the additional 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then put it in the a 350°F oven for 20 minutes or until the custard has set.
5. Invert a large platter over the skillet, grasp the platter and skillet with oven mitts and carefully turn over. 
6. Lift off the skillet and add some more oil. 
7. Slide the frittata back into the skillet (what was the bottom and already browned should now be on top) and cook until the bottom (which was the top) is golden. 
8. Put under the broiler until the top starts to brown and bubble. (Optional: once perfectly cooked, loosen the edges and carefully flip upside-down onto a plate.)