Kale Mushroom and Capsicum Vegan Egg Free Mini Frittatas made with Chickpea Flour

I have been wanting to try a vegan chickpea flour omelet type recipe for the longest time! It took months of me opening my pantry seeing my “besan flour” packet and remembering how much I really needed to try it! I think I have been avoiding chickpea flour and all legumes for a while because when I first went plant-based my digestion really really struggled with them. Over time I’ve slowly added more legumes into my diet and I believe I’m now at a point where they don’t really bother me at all. I’m so happy to have reached this point because legumes are so health promoting and are an important source of plant-based protein and fibre.

Although I don’t really miss eggs, I do miss the convenience of quickly whipping up a veggie-filled omelet for lunch! Both Bub and I really struggle with lunch! I’m fairly happy with all of our breakfast and dinner meals but I struggle to find a variety of different foods to eat for lunch that Bub can also enjoy and that are quick and easy to prepare. Ever since Bub dropped down to one nap at around 12 months (almost a year ago) I have been struggling because nap time has now moved into lunch time! I never know when to have lunch? We are never quite hungry enough to have lunch before nap time and we end up being starving after nap time. If I move nap time to later in the day then bedtime is too late and it’s just become a daily juggling act that I’m not really enjoying. I know most mothers tend to eat while their babies nap and I do that as well many times (when I get too hungry) but we have always meal shared and nap time is my precious time to do my online work for the blog so I hate to waste any minute of it on cooking and eating. I’m always feeling a little stressed and rushed preparing lunch so lately I’m gravitating to freezer friendly meals that I can batch cook. These little frittatas freeze really well and they are a great protein-packed option for a quick lunch.  I usually eat them with a big salad and some homemade polenta sweet potato fries. They are delicious with tomato sauce drizzled on top! Bub will actually only eat them with a big dipping of tomato sauce, but I’m ok with that because he has stopped liking chickpeas. He doesn’t even like hummus! He used to eat them on their own and he absolutely loves lentils and beans but isn’t a fan of chickpeas anymore. This is a fun way to give him chickpeas and veggies all in one.

This was my first time trying chickpea flour as an egg replacer and I loved it! I don’t think it resembles eggs to well (I’m ok with that) but it goes really well with the same veggies I used to use for my omelets and has a great spongy yet dense texture. I think the main reason these don’t resemble eggs to me is that they are much lower in fat and you can tell! They are nowhere near as filling, but on the upside, they also leave you feeling good! I would always feel a tiny bit nauseous after real eggs because they were so fatty. To be perfectly honest I would much rather prepare these frittatas with spinach instead of kale. I only used kale because I ran out of spinach and it’s not the best! It’s just a little strong for my liking but if you love kale then you will probably love it.

I have adapted the original recipe to these from Nicky Skinner from Nourished and Vibrant. I love all her recipes! I swear we have the same taste buds! You can find the original recipe here: https://www.nourishedandvibrant.co.nz/recipes/corn-capsicum-chickpea-frittatas/