Turning fridge and pantry scraps into a delicious frittata surprise

I initially thought I had outdone myself in making the k@k-iest of k@k recipes in the 11 months I’ve been writing about food for Daily Maverick. 

The recipe was, in theory, unappetising. However, in reality, it turned out to be edible and delicious. 

It’s nearly mid month, and my fridge and pantry are almost empty. So, I had to improvise by making a dish with available ingredients. Trust me, there were not a lot of ingredients available due to my living situation. I live alone and because of this I find that smaller grocery purchases (usually every week) are more practical. 

Solo dwellers often face challenges with food spoilage because many grocery items are packaged in larger quantities. It’s difficult to consume groceries before expiration. 

I also think the pricing architecture of grocery items in South Africa tends to favour couples rather than singletons. Without relying on facts but mostly on experience, I’ve concluded that it is cheaper to buy groceries in bulk or larger packages — savings that single people may not benefit from because they cannot use large grocery quantities efficiently.

Also, when you live alone, there is less motivation to cook every day because cooking for one is not fun. Cooking for one can result in simpler grocery lists focused on convenience rather than variety. 

Now that I have made my case for being single and not having a lot of groceries during mid month, it is time to delve into the available ingredients in my home. In my fridge there were eggs, feta cheese, onions, crushed garlic, swiss chard, tomatoes, avocados, milk, and potatoes. And in my pantry, there was canned tuna and a variety of spices. 

Could you come up with a decent recipe with these ingredients? I challenge you to share your meal ideas in the comment section below.

Armed with these ingredients, I was bereft of meal ideas. Instead of wracking my brain for a recipe to make with the available ingredients, I did what any technology-savvy millennial would do. I asked an artificial intelligence chatbot, in this case, ChatGPT, for help.  

After informing the chatbot about what was available in my fridge and pantry, it spat out recipes for a potato salad, a salsa, and an avocado and tuna salad. All of these suggestions were unsatisfactory and I needed a recipe that involved more effort. The eggs in my fridge immediately made me think of a frittata or quiche. I had to rule out a quiche because I made a similar dish in January. 

Read more: Diet and resolution-friendly bacon and cheese muffin quiches

Here’s why I thought the recipe was going to be k@k. I planned to mix all available ingredients to form a frittata filling. This entailed mixing onions, swiss chard, tomatoes, potatoes, and canned tuna.  For some odd reason, I cannot reconcile paring canned tuna fish with potatoes and tomatoes. 

However, I was dead wrong. The ingredients worked well. This one-pan meal turned out to be delicious and easy to make. This frittata is a go-to for a healthy egg-based dish that you can serve and enjoy any time of day. 

It keeps and reheats well, which makes it an excellent make-ahead meal. 

And there you have it — a culinary experiment born out of necessity that turned into a delightful surprise. The moral of the story? Don’t underestimate the power of a few humble ingredients and a dash of creativity. 

Whether you’re a solo dweller or just a fan of kitchen improvisation, remember: sometimes the best meals come from the most unexpected places. 

So, go ahead, rummage through your fridge, and let the culinary magic begin!

Ray’s ‘what’s in the fridge’ frittata

Ray’s frittata with tuna, spinach and feta. (Photo: Ray Mahlaka)