Baked Asparagus Frittata with Low-Fat Hollandaise Sauce

Asparagus, a few volunteer onions, and elephant garlic plants are the only things coming up in my garden since I was gone on sabbatical last year. The asparagus is three years old and is surprisingly tender far down the stalk. Asparagus contains more folic acid than any other vegetable and is low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. It is rich in fiber, potassium, thiamine, vitamins A, C, and B6, and the powerful antioxidant glutathione. The delicate flavor and health benefits of asparagus highly recommend it. It is a nice accompaniment to most meats and fish and in combination with other foods, it has enough flavor to hold up well.

By the way, the effect asparagus has on the urine by creating an odd smell is thought to be due to the breakdown of methyl mercaptan and other sulfurous compounds. Mercaptans are the compounds that give skunks their characteristic odor. That notwithstanding, it makes a great centerpiece vegetable in this baked frittata.

Ingredients (Makes four servings)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
½ large onion, thinly sliced
1 small summer squash, chopped
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. chopped fresh basil
¼ C fat-free evaporated milk
1 C Eggbeaters or egg substitute
½ C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C fresh asparagus, cut into ½ inch pieces, parboiled until crisp-tender about 3 minutes or longer, depending on size

Sauce (Makes 16 1 T servings)

1-1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 t. dry mustard
2/3 cup non-fat milk
2 T Eggbeaters
2-1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 t. margarine

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 10” non-stick skillet with olive oil pan spray and sauté first 7 ingredients until lightly browned. Add basil. In a small bowl, whisk Eggbeaters, cheese, and milk. Add the asparagus to the pan and pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Bake until set (a knife inserted in the center should come out clean), about 15 minutes, and when done, sprinkle with mozzarella. The frittata should sit for five minutes before cutting.

In the meantime, combine cornstarch and mustard in a small sauce pan, slowly add milk
and Eggbeaters and whisk. Heat gradually over low heat while stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Add lemon juice and margarine while stirring.

Serve one quarter of the frittata with one tablespoon of the sauce.

Each serving of this recipe contains 140.64 calories, 13.35 g protein, 13.47 g carbohydrates, 3.25 g fat, and 245 mg sodium.

Here is my recap from yesterday and Wednesday.

Daily Dietary Recap-4/18/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1345.04	54.74 g	260.88 g	1319.72 mg	18.01 g	12.05%

Daily Dietary Recap-4/19/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1276.85	86.88 g	195.52 g	1168.62 mg	18.62 g	13.12%