Artichoke Frittata w/Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Guess who feels like cooking today?  Well, yeah, that would be me.  I know you are asking yourself, "What's up with that?"  It's a great question as even Mister thinks that I have forgotten what a kitchen is for.

I have a friend over today and even started out the day with Cranberry Scones which you can find the recipe for HERE.  I wonder if I'm coming down with something.

So - back to the Artichoke Frittata.  These are just yummy.  To do the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce that goes over it takes a bit of time, but is oh so worth it.   Many of you know that I used to sell Pampered Chef which left me with quite a few interesting cookbooks.  This recipe comes from one called, "Cooking For Two & More."  Mister and I have gone through this book page by page and made the delightful dishes that fall between it's pages.

I took a few pictures today while making this, but not near enough.  You will just have to read and try it out yourself.  Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and then assemble your ingredients.

You will need 1 red bell pepper, 4 eggs, 3 oz. cream cheese (softened), 1 garlic clove (pressed), 1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped, 2 tbsp. snipped fresh basil, 2 tbsp, freshly grated fresh Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp chopped onion, 1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, olive oil, water, and pepper.

Next up:  Let's make the sauce.  Challenge number one is to roast the red pepper.  To do this:  Place it directly over the gas flame on high heat.  (You can also use a broiler if you don't have a gas stove.)  Cook it about 8-10 minutes or until charred on all sides, turning occasionally with a set of tongs.  I mean CHARRED.  Yes, there will be black areas.

Remove from heat and place in a large Ziploc bag or small paper bag.  Seal and let stand for 10 minutes; peel off the skin, remove seeds and stem, and chop.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp. olive oil over medium heat until hot.  Add onion;  cook and stir until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the red pepper, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and 2 tbsp. water.  Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor.  Cover; blend until smooth.  Return the sauce to the saucepan; heat over low heat until hot.  Keep warm.

Moving on:  It's time for the frittata.  Place cream cheese and garlic in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth.  Whisk in eggs one at a time.  Stir in artichokes and 1 tbsp. of the basil.

Heat an 8" oven safe saute pan over medium heat until hot.  Lightly spray or brush with olive oil.  Add egg mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Place pan in oven; bake 12-14 minutes until egg mixture is set in center.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and remaining basil.  Cut frittata into wedges.  Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.  Enjoy.  (Now I really should have taken the time to dress up this plate, but oh well -- you get what you get today.)