(THE WASHINGTON POST) - Do I like cauliflower as much as the next guy? Well, no. It's one of the cruciferous vegetables whose cooked aroma sends me running for the exit. But the oh-so-trendy riced variety, stirred into this frittata mix, works for me.

Here's why: Used raw, it adds a bit of healthful yet stealthful heft to the eggs, and it takes a back seat to the better-smelling trio of quickly sauteed onion, garlic and mushrooms. I didn't catch a single cauli-whiff during the frittata's 25 minutes of oven time.

A scattering of crumbled feta on top browns and melts just enough to seal the deal. Was that a bit of cheese I just scooped up, or was it softened cauliflower rice?

I couldn't quite tell - and that's the point.

The original recipe called for fresh tarragon, which seems difficult for supermarkets to keep in stock at this time of year. So feel free to substitute fresh thyme instead, or stick with just parsley.

Serve with small roasted beets or a salad of peppery greens, such as arugula.

Mushroom and Cauliflower Frittata

3 or 4 servings

Adapted from a recipe at DonnaHay.com.

INGREDIENTS

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

225g button mushrooms

Leaves from 2 stems fresh thyme or tarragon

Leaves from 4 stems flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

4 large eggs

1/4 cup whole or low-fat milk

Sea salt or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

170g cauliflower rice

55g feta cheese, crumbled

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

2. Finely chop the onion. Crush the garlic cloves, then chop. Stem the mushrooms and clean them, as needed, then cut into thin slices. Coarsely chop the thyme or tarragon and parsley leaves.

3. Heat the oil in a medium (22 or 25cm) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook for 3 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the heat.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk, thyme or tarragon and the parsley in a mixing bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower rice, stirring to incorporate, then pour the mixture into the pan. Sprinkle with the feta. Roast (top rack) for about 25 minutes, or until just set and lightly browned on top.

Serve hot.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 4, using low-fat milk and sea salt): 180 calories, 12 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar