Meow Recipes

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Socca with Whipped Feta and Tomato Salad

Crispy, creamy, tangy, and summery all on one plate.

Yes, yes, and yes to all of three of these things right now:

Socca *SO CRISPY*
Whipped feta *SO CREAMY*
Tomato salad *SUMMER DON’T LEAVE*

Here is how you make this meal that isn’t really a meal but also is everything a meal should be: take your piping hot freshly baked socca out of the cast iron, break it into a few crispy, chewy pieces, swoop it through a tangy dollop of herby whipped feta, and top the whole thing with a spoonful of juicy, vinegary tomato and cucumber salad on top for a crunchy finish.

I cannot get enough of this meal-that-isn’t-really-a-meal which is exactly how I like to eat in the summer.

Want to add chickpeas or roasted chicken? Do it.

Want to eat straight spoonfuls of whipped feta out of the food processor? You’re not wrong.

Want to make the golden crunchy edges of that socca a part of your regular life routine? I support you.

This whole combo platter meal is low-key, it’s summery, and it’s currently my favorite (healthyish) thing to eat. The variations are endless. It works well for serving people because they can make it what they want – we served it for Bjork’s parents out on the deck the other night and it was a hit all around (especially the socca).

I know you think you cannot bear to turn on your oven right now but that is the only effort required of you. Also, personal opinion, but oven in the AC > grill outside. It is HOT out there.

Go forth, whip that feta, load up your socca, make it your own!

Common Questions About Socca

How important is the pan size for the Socca?

The size of your cast iron greatly impacts the end product and how thick / thin / crispy it will be. Those crispy, thin edges are EVERYTHING. That’s why I prefer to split it into two batches when working with my 10-inch cast iron skillet.

How important is it to use a cast iron pan?

I have only used my cast iron for this. I think it could work with another oven-safe skillet but I have not tried it. Let us know in the comments if you try it!

Where do I get chickpea flour?

Most grocery stores will carry chickpea flour – often by the “Natural Foods” section or something similar. If you can’t find it at your local store, you can but it here (affiliate link).

Socca with Whipped Feta and Tomato Salad

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2-4

Print Recipe

Description

Socca with Whipped Feta and Tomato Salad! HELLO. Crispy, creamy, tangy, and summery all on one plate.

Ingredients

For the Socca:

1 cup chickpea flour (affiliate link)
2 tablespoons olive oil (and extra for the pan)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water

For the Tomato Salad:

2–3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber slices (optional, but adds a nice crunch)
1/4 cup olive oil
1–2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, grated or finely minced
a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh chopped herbs (optional – I like parsley)

For the Whipped Feta:

1 4-ounce container feta
2 ounces cream cheese, whole milk yogurt, mascarpone… something thick and creamy
thyme, basil, rosemary, or any other herbs you like (I like thyme!)

Instructions

Video

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. While oven is preheating, mix up your tomato salad so it has a little time to sit together and get real yummy.
Whisk all socca ingredients until smooth. Pour 1-2 tablespoons olive oil into a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and pop the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes to preheat. Pour half of the socca batter evenly into the pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden around the edges. (Repeat with the second half of the batter.)
While the socca is baking, blend the feta in a food processor or blender, or with a hand mixer, until smooth-ish. Add your cream cheese, yogurt, mascarpone, whatever you pick to help make the whole thing into a sort of fluffy, creamy sauce. Season with what you like – I love thyme, olive oil, and a little black pepper.
Tear off chunks of hot, crispy socca to be served / dipped / spread / topped with whipped feta and a bunch of fresh, garlicky tomato salad.

Equipment

Notes

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love!

Category: Lunch
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian-Inspired

Keywords: socca, gluten free, tomato salad, cucumber salad, whipped feta, gluten free lunch, healthy lunch

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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Deep Dish S’mores Bowls For Two

Monday, August 3, 2020

Spicy Tofu Burgers

Ow owwwwwww! She looks good!

This might be my bigger summer surprise recipe yet: the fact that tofu, crumbled and pressed together with lemongrass, sriracha, mint, cilantro, and basil, and browned up into a delicious, flavor-bomb burger served on a toasted brioche bun with spicy mayo and some delicately sliced fresh veggies can, in fact, be ONE OF MY FAVORITE BURGERS that I’ve ever made.

And that’s saying a lot because I love a lot of burgers (wild rice burgers! cauliflower burgers! salmon burgers!).

But specifically in this case, when I say burger I actually mean VEGAN burger, because remember that the base of this beast is a block of humble tofu. I know. I’m as shocked as you are.

Some things to know about a tofu burger, in case this is a new concept for you like it was for me.

I like to cook them using a stovetop and oven combo.
They will get gorgeously browned and crispy on the outside via stovetop.
They will firm up a bit via oven.
The insides are softer than a regular burger – especially if your tofu still has a lot of water in it. So DRAIN THAT TOFU! And drain it well.
If you find yourself in a position where you’re like, you know what, I don’t have time to drain my tofu and I’m just going to go with it? I feel you. You’ll still get a totally delicious burger but it will just be texturally a bit softer.

Add whatever you do or don’t like to this beautiful canvas – I added peppers (roasted ’em with the burgers in the oven) and fresh cucumbers and carrots and herbs, because the flavor profile here is Vietnamese-inspired. Heavy on the sriracha, herbs, lemongrass.

But you do you! Whatever suits your fancy will be just fine. This is a time for you to build your own tofu burger masterpiece.

This recipe is inspired by the Vietnamese-Style Tofu Burger recipe in the Plants Only Kitchen cookbook by Gaz Oakley. People often send us their cookbooks but this is one that I bought myself, and it is one of my favorite cookbooks *ever*! So fun, playful, and creative. If you like vegan food, Gaz is an excellent follow on Instagram and the cookbook is well worth the purchase. This version of the tofu burgers uses easier-for-me-to-find ingredient swaps and has a slightly shorter ingredient list.

Common Questions About These Tofu Burgers

What’s the texture like?

In general, these burgers are softer than a regular burger, especially on the insides. Step 1 in the recipe is important so the burgers don’t get overly mushy. That being said, they will taste great even if you don’t have time for it – I have made versions where I just open the package and squeeze as much water as I can out, and honestly I’ve loved every bite. Just know that the burger texture will be slightly heavier and wetter if you skip that first step.

Can I make this gluten-free?

For a gluten free version, use a gluten free flour – Gaz actually recommends buckwheat flour in his cookbook.

How spicy are these burgers?

I felt like with 1 tablespoon of sriracha in the whole thing, it was still pretty mild and worked okay for our toddler. Once you get into the 2 or 3 tablespoons of sriracha zone, it’s going to be more of a medium / + level spice.