Kale Bacon and Onion Frittata and Resourcing Yourself

I love hosting brunch. I love the combo and variety of breakfast and lunch foods. I love the ease of a weekend day spent with others. I love the casualness of the get-together.

I’ve made this frittata recipe, and variations of it, countless times, with the variations being the point of this post.

I’ve made it with just bacon and caramelized onions for the greens haters and umami/savory lovers. I’ve replaced the bacon with smoked mushrooms for those that don’t want meat. I’ve taken the onions out for those with IBS that don’t react well to it. I’ve even replaced the eggs with silken tofu for a vegan option.

I’m happy to make the different variations. It makes me a better cook, and it allows me to help my guests resource themselves.

Using the word resource/resourcing in this way might sound unfamiliar and odd, but it’s a meaningful word and here’s why.

My work involves coaching at the intersection of wellness and leadership.

To show up as the conscious leaders we strive to be, we have to first take care of our health and wellbeing. In today’s complex, fast-moving, ever-changing world, we have alot of demands. When our demands exceed our resources, we spiral down into reactivity. And we all know that’s not a good place to lead from. When our resources exceed our demands, we can instead spiral up into creativity, and that’s when we excel as leaders.

Just to clarify, as I always do…when I talk about leading consciously, I’m talking about way more than being a corporate leader. I’m talking about parenting, supporting friends and family, coaching kids’ activities, leading community and charitable efforts, etc.

Each and every one of us is unique and, therefore, we each resource ourselves differently.

With respect to this frittata recipe, my guests know what they need, they tell me, and I help to accommodate them. It’s an example of servant leadership. For those wanting to resource themselves indulgently, they might say a big yes to the bacon, along with a yummy muffin I’ve made. For those needing to resource by eating lots of veggies, they may want the version that replaces mushrooms for the bacon, and enjoy it with a beautiful side salad (I always make one).

So yes, we resource ourselves for our own health and wellbeing…but we also do it so we can show up better for others. You may call it putting on your oxygen mask first or filling up your cup. I call it resourcing yourself so you can elevate beyond life’s demands.

So I leave you with the following generative question…

Have you explored what works best for you to resource yourself?

- physically (e.g. movement, nutrition, sleep)

- mentally (e.g. mindfulness, playfulness, sleep)

- emotionally (e.g. connecton to self and others)

- spiritually (e.g. connection to nature, inner wisdom and guidance)

And, yes, this includes knowing what you want included in your frittata. The kale, bacon and caramelized onions are easily replaced in equal amounts with other ingredients…so have at it!

KALE BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONION FRITTATA

(Gluten-free and Dairy-Free)

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 oz. raw bacon/5-6 strips

10 large eggs

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp sea salt, plus more for seasoning

¼ tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ yellow onion, sliced into half moons

½ bunch Lacinato kale, chiffonade

Directions:

Coat a 12-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. 

Place the bacon in a COLD oven.* Turn the oven to 400F and bake until bacon is crisp but not burnt, approximately 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Keep the oven set to 400F.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until melted.  Add the sliced onions and toss with the oil until completely coated. There will be extraneous oil, but that’s okay as it is needed to coat the kale. Continuously stir until onions are soft, fragrant and slightly browned, approximately 10-12 minutes.

While caramelizing the onions, chop the cooled bacon into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Add kale to skillet and stir to coat. Season onions and kale with salt and stir until leaves soften and turn a bright green, 3-4 minutes. 

When the onions and kale are ready, add in the chopped bacon, stir to coat, and spread the mixture evenly across the skillet. Pour in the egg mixture, shaking to evenly distribute the eggs with the onions, kale and bacon.

Put skillet in oven for 10-13 minutes, starting to check at 10 minutes.  Eggs should not be jiggly but they should also be slightly undercooked as they’ll continue to cook after taking out.  Let the frittata cool and settle for a few minutes.  Serve warm. 

You can also cook ahead of time and rewarm the frittata prior to serving.

Note:

·      For crispy bacon that is not sitting in fat, I recommend lining a sheet pan with aluminum foil and setting a cooling rack within it.  Lay the first strip of bacon with the meaty party towards the top and the fatty part towards the bottom.  Layer the next strip so that the meaty part is overlapping the previous strip’s fatty party and the fatty party is on the rack.  Continue to layer the strips this way.