Potato and Zucchini Frittata with Chili Cashew Cream

Potato and Zucchini Frittata with Chili Cashew Cream

Yield: One 11” frittata/8 servings and 2 cups cream

Eggs are ubiquitous in America when it comes to breakfast foods.  Go to any breakfast joint and they’re all over the menu.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.  I think eggs are some of nature’s most perfect foods.  They are incredibly versatile, not to mention delicious!  This huge frittata is great for feeding 8 people with a side of lightly dressed mixed greens for a light lunch, or a generous bowl of fresh seasonal fruit for breakfast. I like to make one of these in the beginning of the week for Marco and I to work our way through. A no-brainer breakfast!

 There are two recipes here.  I suggest making the Chili Cashew Cream first, since it will keep nicely in the fridge.  Any leftover cream can be used as a dip for roasted potatoes and carrots.  Be aware that the cashews will need to be soaked for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

 Chili Cashew Cream

Inspired by Mexican Salsa Macha, which has almonds, guajillo chilis, and tons of oil, I made this Chili Cashew Cream, which is actually oil-free.  The spicy, deep flavor is perfect for dipping corn chips, drizzling over enchiladas and tacos, and topping potato-loaded frittatas, like this delicious dish.  I add a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, which makes all the difference.  There’s something about this fruity, sharp ingredient that lends an unexpected buttery quality to dried chilis.  There is no substitute for ACV!  

 You have two options when it comes to soaking cashews.  You can pour boiling water over the raw nuts and soak for 2 – 4 hours at room temperature or cover with cold fresh water and soak overnight in the fridge.  Either way, make sure the ration of cashews to water is 2:1, since the nuts will swell, and you want to keep them submerged.  The chilis also get a soaking in hot water, but it’ll just take 30 minutes, or so, to soften them up.

1 cup raw cashews

2 cups boiling water

1 dried pasilla chili – remove stem and seeds

2 dried guajillo chili – remove stem and seeds

1 cup reserved chili soaking liquid

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp white miso

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1.     Soak cashews in boiling water for 2-4 hours.  Alternately, use cold water and soak overnight in the fridge. 

2.     Cover pasilla and guajillo chilis with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes.  

3.     Drain cashews and chilis, reserving 1 cup of the chili soaking liquid.

4.     Add cashews, chilis, 1 cup chili soaking liquid, and the rest of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until ultra-smooth.  Taste and adjust for salt.

Potato and Zucchini Frittata

A while back I worked at a weekly meal prep kitchen.  Every week on the menu was a delicious frittata of some sort.  We came up with all kinds of combinations.  Very often they would have a sauce drizzled over the top before they got tossed in the oven.  I always preferred to have the sauce separate so you get the hot-cold factor.  This recipe provides just that.  

Potatoes 

3 medium red potatoes – sliced ¼” rounds

2 tsp evoo

¼ tsp kosher salt

6 grinds fresh black pepper

2 Tbsp filtered water

Whole spices

1 tsp whole coriander

½ tsp whole cumin

Zucchini

½ medium yellow onion – ½” slices

3-4 garlic cloves – minced

1 tsp evoo

3 small zucchini – trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise, sliced into ½” half circles

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp dried oregano

Eggs and the rest

10 eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp evoo

For the Potatoes

1.     Preheat oven to 400F.  In an oven-safe pan with 2” high sides, toss potato rounds with evoo, salt, pepper, and water.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  The potatoes should be fork tender when done.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  

2.     Place an 11” cast iron skillet in the oven to heat up.

For the Whole Spices

1.     While the potatoes cook, put a dry skillet over medium heat and toast coriander for 1 minute.  Add cumin and continue to toast until fragrant, continually moving spices around pan.  Once spices are done, transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and crush until all the spices are a semi-fine grind.

For the Zucchini

1.     In a large skillet over medium heat, add evoo and heat for a minute until it shimmers.  Add onion and saute for about 10 minutes to soften.  Add garlic, kosher salt, toasted spices, oregano, and sliced zucchini.  Cook for an additional 10 -15 minutes to just cook the zucchini.  Set aside to cool slightly.

For the Eggs and Rest

1.     In a large mixing bowl, crack eggs and whisk with kosher salt.  Once the potatoes and zucchini mixture are both cooled slightly, add them to the raw eggs and gently toss to evenly distribute.  

It’s a really chunky mixture! Mmmmmm

The pan will be hot, so the mixture will immediately start to cook in the hot oil. Pop it straight in the hot oven to cook. Middle should be just cooked when it’s ready.

2.     Lower the oven temperature to 350F.  Remove cast iron skillet from the oven, add 1 Tbsp evoo and swirl around to fully coat the bottom of the skillet.  Gently pour frittata mixture into the skillet and return to the oven to cook at 350F for 15 minutes.  Rotate skillet and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until the center is no longer liquid.  The center of the frittata should be just cooked when it’s ready. You can also insert a wooden skewer and it should come out clean.

3.     Dig in with a generous dollop of Chili Cashew Cream. Breakfast is now a no-brainer!