If you've gone plant-based, and are foregoing eggs, you needn't deprive yourself of easy, satisfying egg-based entrees like the humble, and ever versatile Fritatta. All you need are some vegetables of your choice, a cast iron skillet, an oven and some JUST Egg.
I love JUST Egg, and always keep a couple bottles of this amazing vegan egg substitute in my fridge. At all times. It's remarkably like real chicken eggs - without the cholesterol, fat and calories. Or, the inhumane conditions that the vast majority of 'factory farmed' eggs are produced in. The toll that takes on living creatures - chickens - doesn't align with my values.
People eat about 1+ trillion chicken eggs per year using 93 million acres of land and 51 billion gallons of water in the process. JUST Egg is made from one of the oldest cultivated legumes on the planet - the Mung bean. Mung beans are one of the more sustainable crops on the planet. Unlike chicken eggs - which need 53 gallons of water to produce just one (that's right!) egg (to grow the feed crops that the chickens need), mung beans require 98 percent less water. And, if you've been paying attention, water is becoming a scarce commodity in many parts of the world. If we're to have enough clean water for people to drink, cook and bathe with, then we need to use less water in agriculture.
Animal agriculture uses nearly three-quarters of the earth's available land to produce just 18 percent of the calories we need. A product like JUST Egg can use 85+ percent less land, leaving more land for trees and animal diversity. Finally, a sustainable plant-based protein product like JUST Egg produces 86 percent fewer CO2 emissions. So, we can all do a small part to mitigate climate change simply by changing from a chicken egg to a plant-based egg product. That's a huge win.
But, let's go to the 'yummy' part.
Cooking with JUST Egg is so simple, and essentially like cooking with chicken eggs. The only difference that I can see is that you'll use a bit lower heat, and take just a bit longer to cook. Actually, to correctly cook chicken eggs, I was already doing it that way.
I love fritatta because it's so versatile. I don't have to fuss with a crust - although I do keep homemade vegan pie crust discs in the freezer for the occasional Galette. And, you can toss in just about any vegetable you like - such as that half end of the zucchini that is languishing in the produce bin of your fridge.
My favorite combo is some cubed potatoes and carrot, peas (from the freezer!), a bit of minced sweet red pepper (also from the freezer!). You could also cut up several spears of that thin asparagus and toss that in! I usually dice up a whole shallot or about 1/4 of a white/yellow onion for the mix.
Just quickly par boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water, until al dente, while you're prepping the rest. Drain. Assemble your other vegetables. I buy sweet peppers when they're on special, core and slice, and toss into a bag in the freezer. I always have sweet peppers to mince/slice up for dishes like Fritatta.
In a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat, start to sauté your fresh vegetables - beginning with the onions/shallots, adding the rest after a couple of minutes. You don't need to oil the skillet if you've got a well-seasoned cast iron. A few drops of water will keep things from sticking as you sauté. This method is called water/wet sauté.
When your fresh/frozen vegetables are nearly al dente, toss in the drained potatoes and carrots. Stir to mix and distribute the vegetables and other ingredients around the pan. Then, pour over the JUST Egg liquid. I like to 'dust' the top with some vegan Parmesan before it goes into the pre-heated oven to bake for 30-40 minutes.
The baked Fritatta keeps really well, covered, in the fridge. It makes a quick, satisfying lunch or dinner in no time at all.
Here are some ideas for ingredients to use in a Fritatta:
Leeks
Shallots
Onions
Fresh or frozen peas
Sliced Snap Peas
Sliced fresh or frozen green beans
Cooked carrots
Sweet red peppers
Garlic
Cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes
Cooked diced turnips
Cooked Butternut or Acorn Squash cubes
Frozen kernel corn
Frozen broccoli florets
Sliced sun-dried tomatoes
Sliced, browned Seitan strips
Plant-based, browned, 'crumbles'
Plant-based pepperoni
Plant-based, sliced, browned Sausages (like the Beyond products)
Browned plant-based ground 'beef' (like Beyond or Impossible)
Sautéed, 'green' Jackfruit, drained of brine.
Sautéed, drained artichoke hearts
Chopped, pitted olives (rinsed of brine and drained)
Vegan cheese, (like the Violife brand Just Like Feta block)
Cubed, day old bread that's been 'toasted'
Leftover pasta like elbows, rotelli or similar
Fresh or dried herbs such as parsley, thyme, tarragon, chives, chervil.
So, I recommend that you try JUST Egg products and get creative!
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