Frittata with Wild Rice and Peas

I don't eat leftovers. I try, though - I put them in containers in the fridge, hoping against hope that I'll somehow have a taste for them the next day, but they inevitably just keep getting pushed back until they are so far gone as to be thrown away, containers and all. The problem is, I tend to decide what to cook at the last minute, based mostly on a craving. Once I've made a dish and the craving has been satiated, it'll probably be a while until that particular flavor profile becomes appetizing to me again.

I know, it's weird. But that's how I roll.

There are a few notable exceptions - lasagna, chili, stews and soups, and simple sides like wild rice cooked with peas, which I had last night with some very delicious beef adobo. No leftovers of the adobo, unfortunately, but I made way too much of the rice and pea mixture. Normally I would have just dumped it down the sink (the horror!), but I've been craving a little frittata, so I stuck it in the fridge to use today.

I make my frittatas on the stovetop, without any baking or broiling. Turning on the oven in Las Vegas when it's past a hundred degrees outside is not my cup if tea, you understand. Frittatas are an amazingly delicious way of using up leftover sides - pretty much anything savory would work well. Here's now I made mine.

Three small eggs (Who buys small eggs? Apparently I do. Normally it would be two large eggs), forked vigorously, added to about half a cup of the leftover wild rice and peas mixture. About a quarter cup of shredded mozzerella is added next, along with a dash of water. Mixed well and set aside.

In a small (6" or so) non-stick pan set on medium, drop in a pad of butter or some olive oil and a clove of minced garlic. Once the garlic is just golden, dump the egg mixture in wholesale. Don't be ginger; you want some of the garlic and butter or oil to come up over the sides. Cover tightly and turn to low.

Check every few minutes; just before the very center sets, run a knife around the edge of the frittata and slide it onto a plate. Let it sit for a few minutes to finish setting up. A dollop of cottage cheese and a generous sprinkling of crushed black pepper finish it off.