Vegan Five-Spice Frittata
Restore the five elements of Chi and warm up with this delicious Vegan Five-Spice Frittata.
Cold and I do not get along.
When I was a kid, a little nip in the air would cause me to break out in hives. (No lie, cold allergies are a real thing!)
So I live in Southern California, am adept at layering, stock my pantry with plenty of tea, and thankfully, have outgrown the lumpy, itchy weirdness of my youth. Still, anything below 72 degrees Fahrenheit makes me feel, well….weak.
Cold is like my own personal kryptonite.
Suddenly my bones hurt and my exposure to any stuffy nose, sneeze, or wheezy cough in the last three months is surely about to kill me. Suddenly I’m chattery and wobbly and runny and miserable. A drop in the temp is the time for extreme measures.
This is the time for some chinese five-spice via my Five-Spice Frittata.
Chinese Five Spice Powder traditionally consists of star anise, Szechwan peppercorns, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves. It is used in Chinese medicine to restore the balance of the five elements in the Chi, or the life-force energy in our bodies. The combination of the five spices were believed to cure toothaches, dysentry, strengthen eyesight, freshen breath, treat snake and scorpion bites, cure rhumatism, and alleviate stomach maladies, flu, cough, nausea and colds. It eventually became a culinary preference, encompassing all five flavor profiles: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty.
Five spices, five elements, five flavors — Oh, and five is also my favorite number. How can it not be magic?
Ancient, powerful Chinese medicine, tasty flavoring or lucky number…all I know is that when I mix it up with some tofu, carrots and kale, bake it golden brown, and eat it with a piping hot cuppa tea, I get my powers back.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of kale, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- 1 19 oz package firm tofu, drained
- 1 inch knob fresh ginger root
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion
- 2 T prepared mustard
- 1 c vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 t powdered ginger
- 1 T (or to taste) Five Spice Powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat over to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate.
- In a large pan with a lid, lightly steam chopped kale with a little water until bright green and tender. In a large bowl, place hot kale topped with shredded carrots. Set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, ginger, garlic, onion, mustard, broth, powdered ginger and five-spice powder until smooth. Pour mixture over kale and carrots and stir until combined. Place mixture into prepared pie plate and smooth to edges.
- Bake for 65 minutes, or until edges are golden and firm.
