Okay, so a vegan frittata seems kind of impossible. Doesn’t it? I mean a frittata is made with eggs. That’s the deal. Well, Chef Chloe Coscarelli is like this little vegan guru. And she has the best eggless frittata recipe in her cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen.

She makes her’s with zucchini and calls it End-of-Summer Frittata. I got all clever and changed the zucchini to artichokes so it’s more of an end-of-spring/beginning-of-summer frittata. I used fresh artichokes, but you could easily use canned artichoke hearts and bottoms.

Fresh artichokes are a little work, but so awesome. Last summer I spent a few days in Salinas, CA which is just a few miles away from Castroville — the artichoke capital of America. So of course, every meal I had there included fresh artichokes. Heaven!

Okay, back to the recipe. I steamed the artichokes and potatoes. Added that to sauteed onions and tomatoes. I made Chloe’s tofu mixture in my blender and tossed that with the cooked vegetables.

This cooks on the stovetop for a little while and then you broil it until golden brown. It really looks like eggs. Crazy, I know. And the taste is amazing. Much lighter than a regular frittata or omelet. And what’s nice is that the potatoes give it substance. I served it with a simple green salad of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, pears and pecans.

Vegan Artichoke Frittata

Adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen

Serves 4

2 medium artichokes, stems and top trimmed, all tough outer leaves removed (or canned artichoke hearts and bottoms)

3-4 small yukon gold potatoes, sliced into rounds

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

7 oz soft tofu

2 Tbsp vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance

3 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

Cut fresh artichokes into quarters. Place in steamer basket set over boiling water. Add potato slices to basket after about 5 minutes. Continue to steam for another 10-15 minutes, until artichokes and potato slices are tender. Cut the artichoke quarters into smaller pieces if desired. Make sure all tough outer leaves have been removed.

While the vegetables are steaming, heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Saute onions until lightly golden brown. Add tomatoes and steamed artichokes and potatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place tofu, margarine, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, pepper, turmeric, onion powder and garlic powder in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. You may need to transfer mixture to a bowl and whisk until completely smooth.

Preheat oven to broil.

Pour tofu mixture over cooked vegetables in skillet. Toss until all vegetables are coated. Smooth the top with a spatula. Cook untouched for another 15 minutes.

Place skillet under broiler and cook 3-5 minutes, until the top is browned. Check often to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove frittata and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.