Given the rest of my recipes, it should come as no surprise that I LOVE a sweet breakfast. Granola, porridge, parfaits and even the occasional slice of chocolate cake. My cakes are made from plants, okay?
However, from time to time, I love a savory start to the day. Inspired by a chickpea quiche I ate on my latest trip to LA, I went on the hunt for similar recipes. I came across a farinata, which I had never heard of. Turns out, it’s an Italian chickpea pancake topped with delicious spices. Here, I’ve made it a bit thicker and added a few fillings. It’s a farinata / fritata hybrid, if you will. With less than 10 ingredients and 5 steps, this recipe is as simple as it is satisfying. So let’s get to it!
For my first go, I decided on fail safe Italian ingredients – tomatoes, olives and Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella. Do you know Miyoko? I used to avoid vegan butter and cheese all together because, frankly, most of them taste like plastic. Then I met Miyoko’s. This Californian vegan creamery boasts butters, cheeses and spreads that are so similar to their traditional counterparts, it’s uncanny. This was my first time using her mozzarella and it did not disappoint. It slices, melts and tastes just like the real thing.
This recipe can be summarized as: prep batter, slice ingredients, combine and bake. Two tips for this particular batch. Let your batter rest! This is an important step . If you’re using tomatoes, make sure to roast them first. This will remove any residual moisture so that you don’t end up with a watery final product. It also makes them tangy and delicious!
The best part of this dish is it’s versatility – you can fill it with whatever fresh produce and spices you have on hand. Mushrooms? Delicious. Squash? Brilliant. You really can’t go wrong – just be sure to finely chop the vegetables and sauté for a few minutes in your cast iron before pouring in your batter.
Enjoy!
Roasted Tomato, Olive & Mozzarella Farinata
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp dried basil
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup kalamata olives sliced
- 6 oz Miyokos vegan mozzarella sliced
Instructions
- Whisk together chickpea flour and water until smooth. Add olive oil, salt, pepper and basil. Let the batter rest for at least a few hours at room temperature. I always opt to do this the night before so that it’s ready to bake when I wake up!
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat your cherry tomatoes in 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 15 minutes, until they are charred and slightly deflated. This helps remove the moisture so that you don’t end up with a watery farinata!
- Once the tomatoes are finished, combine with mozzarella and olives in a 10″ castiron. Pour the chickpea batter over the fillings.
- Bake for 30 minutes. The edges should be slightly browned and completely cooked.