Tuesday 10 December 2013

GG's Vegan Frittata with a Quinoa Crust

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Escuchando Elefantes ~ The Rain
Joan Jett ~ Go Home
Buckcherry ~ Talk To Me
Jim Reeves ~ Distant Drums
Buckcherry ~ For The Movies
Fairground Attraction ~ Find My Love
Alanis Morrisette ~ Not The Doctor
The Undertones ~ Teenage Kicks
Maria Joao Pires ~ Chopin: Piano Concerto #2 in F Minor
Megadeth ~ Symphony of Destruction
Janet Jackson ~ Go Deep
Count Basie ~ S' Wonderful 
Shakira ~ Donde Estan Los Ladrones?
Nat King Cole ~ Let's Face The Music And Dance

I think I am finally looking forward to Christmas...I'll own it..I have watched a Christmas movie or two over the last few days. I enjoyed some Christmas tunes at Ann's on Friday and I have started to plan our Friends Christmas Dinner Party that we host every year. I also watched Nigel Slater's Taste of Christmas food show last night with my Mum...so yeah..I'm getting there. lol. The house currently smells of Cranberry sauce as I have a large pan of it cooling in the kitchen...the cranberries and the port fill the house with that cheery aroma...although it could just be the Port fumes..lol. I personally don't partake in Cranberry Sauce...but my Mum, my sister and our friends all seem to love my sauce so I make it every year for them. 

Before I filled the house with the heady smells of Christmas I filled it with the wonderful smells of baking Frittata. Now this recipe isn't mine and I found the recipe on Pinterest and for Goodness Green's original post then simply click here.  They have a great website so please go and take a look. I knew the moment I saw the photo of their quiche that I would be making it for myself..then ML came home with a bargain bag of Cavolo Nero Kale...synchronicity or what, eh? lol. 

So this morning I put on a great Album, cranked it up and got busy. I had..OK...ML had cooked off my quinoa the night before so that made for an easier start. (Half a cup of uncooked quinoa makes 2 cups cooked...just saying..) I enjoyed making this quiche and enjoyed each part of its creation. And when it was completed and baking away in my oven I felt a sense of achievement...it wasn't hard work...just satisfying. 

The results...enjoyable..wholesome and the filling had a great earthy flavour which to my tastes was really good. I liked the quinoa crust very much but I would maybe use less next time. Or I would maybe add some flavour to it...but I will be making this again. I will be having it for breakfast for the rest of the week...lucky me! Yum! lol. 

Oh and please don't mistake the dark edges for being burnt...it's the dark kale and not charcoaled at all...lol. Have to say I did freak out a little...but was soon breathing a sigh of relief once I cut into it. 

GG's Vegan Frittata with Quinoa Crust.

Vegan Frittata with Quinoa Crust Makes 1 1o" Frittata
(Recipe from Goodness Green website)

2 cups of cooked quinoa 
1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water)

Pre-heat the oven to 200'C/400'F/GM6 and grease a 10" quiche or spring form baking dish. 

Make the flax egg and then pour into the quinoa and stir well to thoroughly combine. Then add to the prepared dish and press into the dish and then smooth over. Place in the heated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and set to one side.

Smooth over with a spatula and press into the edges.
 
1 tbsp olive oil (I used canola/rapeseed)
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
2 small chillis, finely chopped (I used one red, one green)
4 mushrooms, peeled and thinly sliced
100g kale, stalks removed and chopped down 
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small florets (I used Tenderstem broccoli)
handful fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped 

Prepare the veggies....

Gently fry the onion, pepper, chillis and mushrooms in a large skillet for 10 minutes until softened. Then add the kale, broccoli and coriander to the skillet....cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set to one side.


Beautiful veggies cooking down...

1 packet of firm tofu, pressed (I used one packet of Cauldron tofu)
1/2 cup almond milk (I used soya as I had run out of almond)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp miso paste (I used mild white)
1 tsp English mustard (I used multi grain)
2 tsp cornstarch/flour
1 tsp ground Turmeric 
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Place all of the ingredients listed above into a blender/processor and blend until smooth. Adding a little more milk if needed. 

Add the blended tofu mixture to the veggies and stir well to combine. Make sure the veggies evenly distributed..

This smelt so good at this point I could've eaten it straight from the pot..lol

Spread the mixture evenly over the baked quinoa base and smooth the surface to ensure even cooking. 

Smoothed and awaiting the oven...

Bake for 40-50 minutes checking half way through. (Mine was done at the 40 minute mark) Remove from the oven and place on a trivet and leave to cool for 45 minutes...then remove from the dish. Slice and serve...great hot or cold. 

A slice for lunch to test...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Tuesday has been kind to you...

~Red~ 

Many thanks to Goodness Green for creating such a beautiful Frittata. This recipe is entirely their creation and I take no credit for it whatsoever. ~Red~