Monday, June 7, 2010

Beet Green Frittata with Beet and Potato “Home Fries"

beets for breakfast 015
  When you think of great breakfast food, beets may not be the first thing on your mind. I’ve been picking up a couple of nice bunches of beets every week at the farmers market, and they were welcome in this weekend breakfast of frittata and something like home fries.

Tofu frittata really captures the flavor and heartiness of a traditional baked egg frittata, and is a great vehicle to sneak a bunch of greens into breakfast. I used greens from a half dozen red and pink beets, sautéing the chopped greens in a little olive oil and minced garlic just until they wilted down.

This frittata is pretty simple, and like all of my frittatas and omelets, owes much to Vegan Brunch. In a large bowl, mix the following: lightly cooked greens* (about 1 cup), one 14 oz. block extra firm tofu, 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. tamari soy sauce, 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, a little pinch of thyme, a pinch of black salt powder**, and a big pinch of red pepper flakes. Mash everything well with a fork or your fingers, and bake in a lightly oiled dish at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top. It can be served right away, but tends to hold its form better if allowed to cool. I sprinkled a light dusting of smoked Spanish paprika on the cooled frittata.

Since the oven was on anyway, I roasted beets and red potatoes at the same time, wrapping them in foil. This next step is optional, since roasted beets and potatoes are fine as is, but I finished them with a light fry in a little oil, just to give the potatoes a bit of browning and crunch. Season the potatoes & beets with salt and black pepper.

If you wanted to make this even easier, you could bake the potatoes and beets - thinly chopped as to cook evenly - right into the frittata, for a close vegan relative of the classic Spanish egg and potato tortilla.

One final note - I made all of this the night before, with a super easy breakfast in mind the next morning. The frittata especially benefits from the few hours of resting - it may be reheated if you like, but I think it tastes great at room temperature or even cool right out of the fridge. Serve with ketchup or hot sauce, or fresh salsa romesco if you really want a treat.  (I list the ingredients on the link - not the quantities, but it's easy to figure out.)

By the way, thanks SO much to all of you who've left such kind comments about my recent move out here!  I'm still trying to catch up on everyone's blogs, but I so appreciate your thoughtfulness and general good feelings about it all.  Thanks everybody :) 
* - I used beet greens here, but you can use just about anything - spinach, chard, broccoli, kale, collards, bok choy, etc.
** - Black salt powder is available at Indian markets, and makes tofu taste like eggs. Honest.  Thanks again to Vegan Brunch!

9 comments:

Natalie said...

This looks simply amazing and I must try one morning. I love beets so adding them for breakfast will be easy.

Abby Bean said...

I passed up the Easter Egg beets at the market yesterday; I think I'm going to have to head back to pick them up now!

Jenn Shagrin said...

Thanks, Mike!
Your photos are soo equally as drool-worthy. Beets and potatoes? Yes, please :)

Veganosaurus said...

Beets are by far my favorite vegetable. Thank for the frittata recipe. I look and sounds sooo yum!! :)

The Voracious Vegan said...

Beets are THE BEST! I like them any time of day. In fact, I've got a bunch sitting in my fridge right now and I'm going to make a raw slaw with them either tomorrow or the next day. But now....you've made me want to roast them! And eat them with a giant frittata! What a gorgeous meal.

miss v said...

looks like a hearty breakfast, for sure! the beets are a crazy addition, but i think the sauteeing would make them an awesome side dish!

Jenn said...

That looks breakfast looks beautiful and delicious.

Penny said...

Mmmm... This looks GOOD! I've been a big fan of tofu scramble for a long time, and I think this frittata is the next step... I love beetroot, too, so this will definitely be an ingredient for me. Thanks for a great post!
I enjoyed reading about your move, too. Your dogs are beautiful and you're doing a great job! You're on my blog roll...

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