Is it December yet? 2020 has been a heck of a year. We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We know several friends who have caught the coronavirus, so we are taking this pandemic very seriously. We are staying home as much as possible and haven’t even been to the grocery store since March. Instead, we have been using curbside pickup and buying products online. We rarely order takeout and have been cooking up a storm at home, so we’ve stocked our cupboards with bulk items to make a variety of meals at a moment’s notice. We have an entire cabinet with meticulously labeled glass jars filled with quinoa, lentils, oats, pastas, flours, an assortment of grains and rice—and of course, the dark chocolate chips that Adam claims are an essential part of his daily nutritional needs. We also keep plenty of canned goods in the pantry, like black beans, whole italian tomatoes, and coconut milk, so we can enjoy dishes like our colorful Caribbean Black Bean Salad, garlicky Pasta Puttanesca, or the easy Indian Curry with Chickpeas and Cauliflower from our cookbook any night of the week. There are dozens of delicious meals you can whip up by simply keeping a few kitchen staples on hand. This new recipe has been on repeat in our house for the past several months, and it comes together in less than 30 minutes. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner—this vegan frittata is a clear winner.

We know what you’re thinking. How in the world do you make a vegan frittata when it normally uses eggs? Sit down and relax, the Husbands have got your inquisitive back. It all started on a warm winter day in late January…

…but before we go any further with this story, we’d like to take a moment and dedicate this post to our friend Maya who passed away from cancer at the end of May. The first time we ever tried a vegan frittata was with her, in the cafeteria of the clinic in Mexico where she was getting treatment. When Maya was released, she moved in with us for two months during March and April while we took care of her until her health declined so much that she had to go back to the hospital in Portland where she lived. We were friends for over 20 years, and Maya was like family to us. For those of you following her story and who have been so generous to contribute to her Gofundme, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. She was so grateful and appreciative to all of you and expressed that to us many times. We knew her illness was serious so we made every moment count—we watched comedies every night, enjoyed some amazing meals together, and spent time outside in our garden. We made this frittata countless times while she was here because we all loved it so much, and we are honored to share it with you today.

You may even have all the ingredients at home right now. To make this magical eggless batter, you simply need chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, ground flax seeds, salt, water, and that’s it. If you don’t have some of these items at home, you can easily find them at your local grocery store or online. Within minutes, these simple ingredients transform into a rich and flavorful egg-like frittata without any eggs! Mixed with sautéed broccoli, summer zucchini, and fresh swiss chard lightly seasoned with a hint of garlic powder, soy sauce, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, this high-protein frittata works for any meal. It can be flexible too! Wondering what to do with last night’s leftover vegetables? Throw them in the frittata! Do you love mushrooms and bell peppers? Why not add those too? The wonderful thing with this recipe is that you can use whatever veggies you have laying around and make a different version every time.

While Maya was living with us, taking care of her became our full-time job. We quickly went from Husbands That Cook to Husbands That Nurse. During this time, you may have noticed that we took a brief break from posting here and on social media. We hosted a beautiful Zoom memorial for Maya on June 1 and created a Facebook page for her stunning photography, but between the pandemic and the loss of our friend, it was tough for us to create content.

This past month has been an emotional roller coaster for so many of us, but with everything going on in the world we feel it’s important for you all to know exactly where we stand with the #BlackLivesMatter movement. We are proud supporters of #BlackLivesMatter. Ryan may not look it, but he is half Cuban and a quarter Jamaican. We have a mixed extended family, and anyone who knows us in our personal lives knows how deeply we support racial justice.

We apologize if we let anyone down by not posting on social media during the protests, but we were going through a difficult time, and it had nothing to do with how we feel about equality and racial injustice. The police and justice system in the United States is broken for people of color and it is past time for fundamental changes. Let there be no doubt that we support the Black Lives Matter movement and everything it represents. Black and Indigenous People of Color, especially queer POC have paved the way for the rights and privileges we enjoy today. We honor their sacrifices and unequivocally support Black Lives Matter. 2020 has been a tough year for everyone, but we will get through this together. Anytime you have questions or comments, feel free to leave them below or send us an email. We would love to hear from you. xo Ryan and Adam

Vegan Frittata
Serves 2

For the batter:
3/4 cup (75 g) chickpea flour
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (237 ml) water

For the vegetables:
4 medium chard leaves (85 g total)
3/4 cup (65 g) coarsely chopped broccoli florets (about 1/4 head)
1 cup (130 g) diced zucchini (about 1/2 of a large zucchini)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch to 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
2 to 4 basil leaves, cut into strips

First, make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast flakes, flax seeds, and salt. Add the water and whisk until smooth and blended with no lumps remaining. Set aside.

Next, prep the vegetables. Separate the leaves and thick stems of the chard. Slice the chard stems into 1/4-inch pieces, and coarsely chop the leaves. Chop the broccoli and zucchini.

Place a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the chard stems and broccoli. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the diced zucchini, soy sauce, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and continue cooking for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped chard leaves and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and scoop the vegetables into the bowl of batter. Stir to combine.

Return the empty skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour in the frittata mixture, spreading the vegetables evenly in the pan. Cover and cook without opening the lid for 7 to 8 minutes, until the bottom is browned and the center is no longer gooey. Remove from heat, garnish with fresh basil, cut into halves or wedges, and serve immediately while hot. Enjoy!

notes:
— This recipe is very flexible, and can be made with a variety of vegetables. For best results, use approximately the same amount of produce that we use here: about 2 cups of chopped vegetables and 1 1/2 cups of chopped greens.

— This recipe is also a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables. If using cooked vegetables, use about 1 1/2 cups of veggies. Reheat them in a skillet until sizzling hot, season to taste, then add them to the batter and proceed with the recipe as directed.

— Chickpea flour, nutritional yeast flakes, and ground flax seeds are available in many grocery stores and online.

— To make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.