Veggie Socca with Cashew Chèvre & Basil Pesto
Socca = eggless frittata. Yep, you heard me. Finally! A way to feel like it’s brunch-o-clock anytime of the day, sans eggs. Rejoice!
Socca Recipe:
yields about 5 servings, one 9” pie dish
takes about 15 minutes of prep, 1 hour cook time
2 c assorted vegetables, diced roughly (I used bell pepper, portobello mushrooms, grape tomatoes, broccolini, fennel)
1/4 c finely diced red onion
1 c greens (I used baby spinach & a bit of fresh parsley)
1.5 c chickpea flour
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp kala namak salt (gives it the egg flavor, important*)
1/2 tsp turmeric (mostly to give it that yellow egg color)
sea salt, to taste
additional seasonings of choice (I used fresh pepper, dry thyme, dry basil, dry oregano, dry parsley, garlic powder)
1.5 c oat milk (or water)
1 tbsp avocado oil
Preheat oven to 375, & lightly oil a 9” glass pie pan (could also use a glass casserole dish) with avocado oil. Put all the chopped veggies, onion, and greens together in a bowl & season with some of the sea salt, set aside.
In another bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, baking powder, kala namak, turmeric, sea salt, and seasonings together. Add the oat milk & avocado oil. Whisk until lump-free. Taste & adjust seasonings as needed.
Pour the veggie mix into the batter & mix to combine. TASTE! & see if you need more salt & seasonings. Adjust as needed. Then pour out into the pie pan. Bake about 1 hour, or until firm. Let cool about 30 minutes before cutting.
Additional pairings: goes great with cashew goat cheese & basil pesto, but totally optional! (recipes below)
Basil Pesto Recipe:
2 cups basil (could also do 1 cup basil, 1 cup greens like baby spinach)
2 tbsp pine nuts (you can toast them first for a richer flavor)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
water to thin, as needed (about 2 tbsp)
splash of maple syrup to sweeten just a bit
Blend! Adjust seasonings & water as needed until you reach desired taste & texture.
Cashew Chèvre:
1 c raw cashews
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
salt!
1 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp hot water (add a little at a time)
optional: splash of apple cider vinegar for extra tang
Cover the cashews with boiling water & let sit at least 15 minutes to soften. Drain, add to blender with the garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, and a bit of the water. Blend. Add more water as needed, until you reach desired consistency.