Pancake Tuesday

It's my favorite Tuesday of February. It's Fat Tuesday. It's Pancake Tuesday. It's Morri-is-really-trying-to-be-on-here-more-so-bear-with-her-Tuesday.

Pancakes were the start of Meals with Morri, which is weird since I'm actually a waffle person. CK and I get into "arguments" about what is a pancake and what isn't, what is a regular sized pancake and what is ridiculous gargantuan Midwestern proportions.

It keeps us interesting, I suppose.

Aside from it being Pancake Day and sharing/eating a recipe, I wanted to find a way to share the fun with my two buns without them eating food that isn't particularly healthy for them (sadly, pancakes the way I like them is exactly that). February is Adopt a Rescued Rabbit month, and our three month since adoption is this coming Monday, so needless to say I'd like them to enjoy it too.

Fat Tuesday Salad for Rabbits

Handful of Greens: Romaine hearts, mixed greens, dandelion leaves (1 handful per rabbit)
Grated carrot (1 tbsp. per rabbit)
Chopped mango (1 tsp.)
Sliced blueberries (1tsp.)
1/4 - 1/3 tsp. rolled oats (as a treat)

Put together the ingredients as artfully as possible. 

Serve to your bunny overlords. 

Take photos of the cuteness.

Rabbits are interesting roommates, and if you feel you can hold up to a 10+ year commitment with one or two (or more) of these small creatures, go visit your local rescue. At my local HRS chapter, they usually suggest fostering first (although experience with rabbit care is mandatory), where they provide the cage, the food, and pay for additional medical expenses. Fostering means you've provided a safe place for them to grow and socialize and learn, and in return you see whether or not rabbits are right for you in the long term.

The term 'foster failure' is a thing for a reason.

I've always identified as a cat person, but there's something about the growing relationship you develop with your rabbits that really tugs at my heart. I have had to learn to not worry so much. I have had to get down on their level. I have had to self-reflect and be compassionate whenever they are feeling a certain way. I have had to be accountable and selfless and honor who they are now instead of what I want them to be.

It's kind of like having children... vegan children who poop outside their litter pans sometimes.

All rabbits are different, but I assure you that, in the right home, with the right family, with the right mindset, they make fantastic additions to the family. Adopt, don't shop, and eat pancakes... however you defined them.

Socca (recipe from Wikibooks)
150 g chickpea flour
250 ml water
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
Black pepper, to taste (I did 1/4 tsp.)

Preheat oven to at least 480°F (around 300°C / 570°F is traditional, but whatever your oven can manage that gets close to this).

Option 1: If using a cast-iron pan, get it into the oven at the start so that it is hot when the batter goes into it.

Option 2: If using a ceramic baking dish (at least 9" in diameter), line it with olive oil and set aside (this is what I did).
Whisk the ingredients together well or put through the blender, ensuring there are no lumps. 

Option 1: Pour the batter into the HOT cast-iron pan and bake for 15 minutes (results are crispier). 

Option 2: Pour into the baking dish and place into the oven to back for 15 minutes (results are creamier center). 

Remove from the oven and cut into triangular wedges. 

Serve hot.

Makes 2 servings.

Have Yourself a Merry Little December

I’m one of those people who start the holidays right when I wake up to the December 1st morning. Pandora is devoted to secular holiday music with songs sung by The Rat Pack, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and many others. The Christmas lights are shining brightly around our doorway, inviting good cheer to everyone who enters our home. This week is devoted to getting into the Yuletide spirit, putting the tree up and decorating, preparing for finals, and cooking up a plethora of winter based recipes.

Last Year's Tree

In the last month of the year 2012, I have been looking at past blog posts and life decisions fervently, awed by how much has changed and inspired by how far I’ve come. I’ve found my passions in food have surpassed my expectations and evolved into something leaning towards sustainable development, urban agriculture, the local and organic movements, gardening, and “know your farmer”. My fitness regimen in the form of rock climbing and yoga, although sometimes appearing lack in progress at times, has conditioned my body (and spirit) in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I first started.

And in December of last year, I couldn’t imagine being a successful graduate student, let alone being accepted to the graduate school program. My acceptance letter came last week, and already plans for the spring semester are being laid out to balance all the loves in my life. I’m currently working on time management week by week, only because the semester is almost over. But goodness, I’m an official S/CAR graduate student… Me. Accepted.

Holy cow.

So while I hum to Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, I figured to honor my acceptance by making socca, a food I’d fallen in love with over a year ago but haven’t made another recipe since my "Happy Herbivore Tendencies" post. That’s way too long a break in between without socca, I say, and started thinking of a recipe to share. I wanted to use up the remaining pumpkin puree in the fridge, but I was also hankering for an old school peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Let’s just say my craving was more than satisfied, and that pumpkin works beautifully with peanut butter and banana.

Pumpkin Socca

120 g Garbanzo bean flour

180 ml Filtered water

5 ml Whey (optional)*

240 g Pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp. Sea salt

30 g Butter (for a dairy free and vegan version, you could use coconut/olive oil)

In a small mixing bowl, stir the flour, water, and whey until thoroughly combined and let it sit overnight on the counter.

Add the pumpkin and sea salt while melting the butter on medium heat in a cast iron skillet; once beginning to brown, drizzle the excess fat into the batter.

Pour the batter into the skillet and treat it like you would a pancake, either flipping over or using the broiler to cook the other side.

Turn off the heat and transfer it onto a plate to cool slightly (the inside is delicious custard when hot and solidifies as it cools). 

Cut into quarters, bars, or squares to enjoy as you like and serve warm.

Makes 2 servings.

Socca is a great bread substitute to make sandwiches. For two peanut butter and banana soccawiches, slice the socca in half, smear 2 tbsp. peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice) and slice one ripe banana thinly on one side of the socca. Fold the other side on top and cut the socca again so you have two – four sandwiches on a plate. Enjoy with a glass of milk (dairy free or otherwise). 

Happy Herbivore Tendencies

There’s been a lot going on lately, a lot of great things, and it means that posting has been rather slack for a few days. I’m going down to North Carolina on Thursday for a long weekend to celebrate Father’s Day with Grandpa B and Grandma D, so I wanted to do as much as I could on Meals with Morri until then. The FAQ page is almost completed and ready to be published in a day or two, and there are a number of recipes I’m very excited to share with you all before Thursday.

If you have ventured to my Recipe Index page, you’ll see quite a collection of lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan delights to enjoy. On a quite a few occasions my wheat-free lifestyle has been confused with a meat-free one. Maybe it’s because “wheat” and “meat” rhyme, or that both lifestyles can be considerably healthier than the Standard American Diet (SAD). But I do consume dairy, eggs, and meat on a daily basis. On some days, I have vegetarian meals with some egg, milk, and cheese in the mix. And then there are days where my herbivore tendencies shine.

Now, although I’m not a full-throttle vegetarian (lacto-ovo or otherwise), I do enjoy such dishes immensely. Some of my favorite foods are not animal derived, and I usually only notice this fact after eating it with vigor. It’s when I try to make things herbivore (i.e., vegan) friendly that it doesn’t turn out as deliciously as I’d hoped.

Remember my muck monster muffin flop? Well, let me introduce you to its cousin, muck monster smoothie. It essentially had the same components: vegan, with banana, spinach, and almond milk. And it tasted okay, but I wasn’t in love with it. With a packet of the chocolate-flavored (not big on the taste) protein powder and over 240 ml of almond milk, there was a serving of fruit (banana), vegetable (spinach), and grain (brown rice). It did keep me full until lunchtime, so it fulfilled its job in that aspect. I think I just tried too hard to keep it vegan and that’s what did me in. After receiving my tub of Vega One protein powder (the natural flavor), I want to continue trying to make total meal shakes with the specifications of having every food group presented (save the ones from animals).

Learning from that flop, I'm starting to see it’s when I don’t think of making it vegan is when I truly enjoy it… like socca. You can never go wrong with socca. After my vegan breakfast attempt not going as well as I’d hoped, I was in the mood for socca in the form of a wrap. But we didn’t have any leftover meat on hand, and I wasn’t hankering for a slice of Gouda. We did, however, have plenty of fresh vegetables and the ingredients to make guacamole.

Thus, the socca GLT (guacamole, lettuce, and tomato) wrap was born! It’s the type of vegan sandwich that is easy to make, with simple ingredients that come together beautifully. And if you feel it needs some extra oomph for your taste buds, feel free to add some seasoned quinoa, buckwheat, or rice to the mix. You won’t be thinking “vegan” while you’re eating this, only that it’s delicious.

Socca GLT

For the socca wrap:
60 g Garbanzo bean flour
90 ml Water
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/8 tsp. Poppy seeds
1/8 tsp. White sesame seeds
1/8 tsp. Caraway seeds
1/8 tsp. Whole cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. Black sesame seeds, to garnish while cooking
Coconut oil, for greasing the pan

For the filling*:
Guacamole
Baby lettuce leaves
Tomato, thinly sliced

Combine the ingredients for the socca (with the exception to the black sesame seeds) in a measuring cup that can contain at least 240 ml.
Let it sit for thirty minutes on the counter until thickened.
Place a large cast iron skillet pan (or a stainless steel pan if you prefer) on medium heat.
Melt the coconut oil and at its smoking point, pour in the batter across the bottom and as thinly as possible.
Once the bottom has set, sprinkle the sesame seeds on the uncooked side and place it under the broiler until fully cooked.
Remove the socca from the pan and let it cool before adding the guacamole, lettuce, and tomato.
Slice in half and enjoy with an equally delicious smoothie, vegan or otherwise.

 Makes 1 serving.

* The filling isn’t measured out because you can add as much of the ingredients as you want in the wrap. I just made some guacamole on the spot with 1/4 avocado, juice from half a lemon, and cut up some jalapeños and white onion for some crunch. 

Always a Way

I keep meaning to post my – what seems to be – growing list of recipes, but over the past week life was throwing me curveballs left and right. There are so many headings and paths I could take. Do I choose culinary school or grad school? Sustainable development and food security or a restaurant and community center? Portland, Oregon or Uppsala, Sweden? There is only one me, and I want to do so much for the world, to do it all and do it now.

More than one person has called me a Leaper, or a person who thinks the big steps you take in life are the only important ones you should be considering as personal evolution. The experience I am gaining now (i.e., working with kids, blogging, cooking, networking, and exercising) just wasn’t as grand as my growing dreams. I wasn’t interested in the small steps, and so the small steps I was taking looked like I was doing nothing in comparison. I wanted to jump those small steps two or three at a time. In the three months since I’ve graduated, I have taken out my diploma from the envelope it was sent in only twice. This piece of paper, which tells the world I’ve completed higher education, has thrown me out into the world without structure or a syllabus.

I am not scared, because life seems to sort itself out without my input. I am, however, frustrated, simply because I don’t know where to start.

Some days I just stare at my resume, eighty-five percent completed in over a period of a month. I want to go out into the world and help people, apply to jobs near and far, in and out of the country, and that means making an effort. As a Leaper, I want to take that plunge, that ultimate Leap of Faith; I just want to know what my heading is. I want to be part of something I can pour my heart into, something where I work with like-minded individuals who desire progression for all sentient beings and heal the world of the problems humanity has made in the name of progression.

If I’m going to leap into something, I’m leaping into something I believe in.   

So, what do I believe then? I wholeheartedly believe there is always more than one way of doing something in life, and recipes are no different. Take this as an example: pancakes, the blueberry kind, with the same kind of flour, liquid, number of eggs, and spices. The difference was in how the blueberries were used.  

Blueberry Socca Pancakes

60 g Garbanzo bean flour
90 ml Water
5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 Large egg
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Bourbon vanilla
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
88 g Fresh blueberries

In this recipe, I made it the night before without adding the baking soda until fifteen minutes before cooking. I think I would have enjoyed it better if I had added the blueberries on one side of the pancakes while cooking, because adding it to the batter resulted in the blueberries bunching up in the center.  Oh, and it needed the additional sweetness of stevia to make it perfect.

Pureed Blueberry Socca Pancakes

60 g Garbanzo bean flour
60 g Fresh blueberries
30 ml Water
5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 Large egg
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Bourbon vanilla
1/4 tsp. Baking soda

I’ll be honest about this recipe: I’m writing it from memory, so I’m not exactly sure how many blueberries I used (though it is within the 60’s range). As long as the amount of blueberries and water is a third more (i.e., 90 g) than the garbanzo bean flour, I don’t see you having much difficulty.

I blended the blueberries with the water with my emulsion blender’s food processor accessory, and then added it to the flour followed by the remaining ingredients. This recipe was not made the night before, but cooked well regardless. It did not require additional sweetness in the batter, but coconut milk and jam did wonders as toppings. The overall color of the pancakes was a bluish green, which I enjoyed immensely.

Both recipes make one serving.

A Week of Goals and the Ultimate Socca Indulgence

To start off the new week in an awesome manner, I have listed a few goals I want to work on to further my positive growth:

• Match my eating habits to my fitness regimen (No. 1 priority)
•  To get plenty of rest, i.e., 8 continuous hours of sleep (No. 2 priority)
•  Continue running (3x) and rock climbing (3x)
• Don’t take things too seriously and be flexible
• Keep up with my something-nothing philosophy
• To not spread myself too thinly
• Be there for myself, to be loving and not judgmental or critical
• Work on my resume and seriously look into jobs

As I don’t really have much of a story, I figured I’d post about my weekend in the form of photos...

... and a recipe. I was inspired by the Pure2Raw twins Lori and Michelle's vegan Tiramisu Pancakes, and I instantly thought of socca. They love socca. I love socca. And this recipe was the next logical step forward to combining two great ideas.

Socca Tiramisu

120 g Garbanzo bean flour
60 ml Coconut milk
60 ml strong coffee, chilled or room temperature preferred
120 ml Almond milk
10 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
Stevia, to taste

Click here to see how I usually prepare socca. This ranges from two to four servings, but I halved the recipe to make one large “pancake” with a cast iron griddle pan.

After it is cool enough to handle, slice the socca into quarters and stack the triangles on top of each other.
Smear the top with an extra helping of refrigerated coconut milk, which has the consistency of a soft whipped cream (though I think it would be absolutely fabulous to have between every single layer).
Garnish with cocoa nibs and a drizzle of maple syrup as garnishes.

Makes 2 sweet indulgences. Serves 2 – 4.

Becoming a Gluten Free Athlete with Socca Tuna Melt

Motivation comes in many forms. Some use the “I’m doing this so I don’t have to do it for the rest of my life” approach. Others use the “I’m doing this to make other people happy” approach. But I prefer the “I’m doing this for me” approach. I’m writing this blog for me, and hopefully to help others along the way.

I lost substantial weight my first semester in college. It was to prove to myself (and my ex-boyfriend at the time) that I was worth something, to feel better about myself, and to take my mind off the many changes coming my way. I went from weighing 140 lbs to about 118 lbs in a matter of a semester, a size 8 in pants to almost a size 0, and still I wasn’t happy. I think this is where my obsession with exercising and “healthy” eating truly began, and it’s taken the better part of four years of healing and patience and support to get where I am today.

My disordered eating wasn’t about food. It was about control. What I did or didn’t put into my mouth or how long and how often I exercised were the ways to make me feel like I ran my life. Change was always around the corner, but my body was for me to control and no one else could take that away from me. That was my logic, but really, what good came from it? If I felt it wasn’t okay for anyone else to go to bed hungry because they had no other choice, how was it okay for me to go to bed hungry when there was always a well-stocked kitchen downstairs? What was the point of eating healthy and working out every other day when it was never enough? Not only that, but when you limit your caloric intake and exercise, it’s not only illogical… it’s freaking dangerous.

I’m telling you this because of what happened this morning. IB and I went on a slow run this morning, less than half an hour and under two miles. When we finally came back, my face was a deep red; I was nauseous and had tunnel vision even after gulping down water. We decided it was best if I lay down, though after a few moments I started to shake convulsively. It went away, but he was still concerned. He’d been a runner for years and never experienced this before, so he started researching.

I’ve been working with Cheryl Harris for nutrition guidance and life enrichment since February this year. I can look back and happily say there is progress. I’m eating between 1500 and <1800 calories a day instead of having a panic attack if I eat more than 1200 (and yes, this included the days I exercised). I’m giving my body what it wants immediately when it asks for it. There are days when I’m still hungry after I’ve eaten dinner, typically when I have a late class and pack food for myself, and I no longer grudgingly feed myself until I’m no longer hungry.

I learned a new mantra, one that I can tell myself should insecurity rear its ugly head. “Food is the fuel that keeps me going, and not the anchor that weighs me down.” How's that for deep?

I'm NOT holding myself down anymore.

Maybe I felt that, since I wasn’t what I pictured to be an “Athlete,” I could eat normally and still work out like a gladiator. That is, one hour of aerobic exercise, about half an hour of weights and other gym machines, and I’m not even counting all the walking I do on campus. If I want to go to the gym three to five times a week, I need to make sure my body has the fuel to do it. That means sleeping a full eight hours a night, drinking water, getting the right vitamins, and yes, eating. Perhaps a year ago if the Burt-man asked me “Do you want to be strong and solid (implying the possibility of weight gain) or a ninety-eight-pound weakling?”, I would have had to think about it. If I was honest with myself, I would have likely preferred the latter because I felt I’d rather be thin (implying beauty) than muscled and "stocky". But I know better now.

Beauty is found in a happy self, a body that gets what it needs and never wants. I still have a long way to go, but I’m not the person I was four years ago trying to be something that others would like. The next time I speak to Cheryl, I will focus on the Gluten Free Athlete perspective, and what measures I need to take in order to embody this persona safely, effectively, and happily. Michelle and Lori of Pure2Raw seem to have this concept down to a science.

Oh! And I’ve discovered a new blog, The Gluten Free Athlete. Something tells me I’m going to be visiting it often. But for now, I have a socca recipe for you, one that I gobbled up gleefully post-run. High in healthy fats and carbohydrates, my body felt like new.

Socca Tuna Melt

1 Socca Recipe
1 slice Gouda cheese, quartered
1/4 c. Canned tuna in olive oil, drained of excess oil
1 heaping tbsp. Fresh salsa 
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Prepare and cook the socca (like so) and place it under the broiler.
Thoroughly blend together the tuna, fresh salsa, and mustard.
Remove the socca from the oven, flip over, and lay out the cheese on one side.
Top the cheese with the tuna mixture and fold the other side on top (like you would an omelet).
Place it under the broiler once more until the cheese is melted.

Cut it in half and serve with sour cream, a small salad, and carrot juice.

Serves 1.

Socca Donuts

Sometimes you find foods that were meant to be together, foods that have a compatible relationship in the mixing bowl, in the oven, and most importantly, in your body. Eggs and socca have that kind of bond, for two very different recipes.

When I prepared socca with an egg for the first time, the taste and texture was a cross between a crepe and a tortilla. It had those beautiful air pockets much like a tortilla has, and if it been kept under the broil a little longer it would have been perfect for a quesadilla lunch.

All you need is a single serving socca recipe and one large egg mixed in the batter. 

Now, in my search for socca inspiration, I was thinking about using my donut pan for my socca addiction. This is where the socca and the egg marry once again into a beautiful outcome. The first time I made them, they were airy and savory. The second time I made them, they were moist and sweet. Next time I will add the teaspoon of maple sugar to the airy and savory recipe and see how it goes without half an ounce of unsweetened applesauce.

Socca Donuts

2.1 oz Garbanzo bean flour
3.25 oz Water
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the greased donut pan in the center.
Mix together the ingredients (sans the baking powder and baking soda) and let it sit on the counter for half an hour.
Take the donut pan out of the oven, add in the baking powder and baking soda, and pour the batter in the molds (I was able to make four).
Bake for thirty minutes until done.
Top with your choice of savory spreads, like peanut butter, cream cheese, hummus, etc.

Makes 4 donuts.

The Socca Chronicles

Besides the whole manganese thing, there are other aspects to socca that I love. It’s versatile, it’s delicious, but above all else, it’s comforting.

And I’m a huge fan of all things comforting. I am comforted by the smell of my Lilli cat after she comes back inside early in the morning (No, I’m not kidding.), the images of autumn and the tastes it brings with it, the warmth of a kitchen in use, with the sounds of bubbling concoctions in pots and sizzling foods in pans, and this is just to name a few.

Socca is now an official Morri favorite, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I’ve perfected how to cook it* and have come up with quite a few variations of the original recipe. For a single serving I do 2.1 oz (or 1/2 cup) of garbanzo bean flour to 3.15 oz water, 5 g (or 1 tsp.) olive oil, and up to 1/4 tsp. of sea salt. The beautiful thing about this ratio – as the wonderful bloggers from the GFRR about any ratio will tell you – is how easy it is to multiply or decrease recipe to the number of people you want to cook for. You can cook for an entire food bloggers convention for hundreds and it would still turn out as amazingly as you would for a single serving. It’s also great as food on the go. I quickly cooked up a batch and ate it in the car on the way to the S/CAR resume workshop last Tuesday, wrapped in a paper towel and steaming hot.

Honestly, the average socca recipe is a great base for any flavor combination you could ever think of. Would you like a few examples? Oh, what am I saying, of course you do.

After my sweet and savory carrot socca success, I started looking into different spices and accompaniments:

Pesto Socca

2.1 oz Garbanzo bean flour
3.15 oz Water
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp Basil pesto (store-bought from Trader Joe’s and is not vegetarian)

I greased the pan with coconut oil instead of olive oil. It tasted amazing with the prosciutto, Dijon mustard, and basil.

Peppered Socca

2.1 oz Garbanzo bean flour
3.15 oz Water
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Cracked pepper

Then I tried cooking it with additional flours and different oils:

Coconut Socca

0.25 oz Coconut flour
1.85 oz Garbanzo bean flour
4 oz Water (coconut flour is like a sponge)
1 tsp. (7 g) Coconut oil, room temperature
1/4 tsp. Sea salt

It was a lot fluffier and more delicate due to the coconut flour and additional water. I topped it with a savory smear made with pumpkin puree, tahini, and coconut aminos. Oh, and a little curry powder goes a long way.

Mexican Mesquite Socca

0.5 oz Mesquite flour
1.85 oz Garbanzo bean flour
3.5 oz Water
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
Cinnamon, as garnish

Coincidentally, both the Coconut Socca and the Mexican Mesquite Socca are sweet socca as opposed to savory, but can be used for both depending on what you eat them with.

And most recently, as in today for lunch, I used socca in a different way entirely:

Socca Pizza

2.1 oz Garbanzo bean flour
3.15 oz Water
1 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1 Komato (or any small tomato of your choosing), sliced thinly into crescents
1 stalk Thai basil leaves (or regular basil), plucked and cut into fine slivers
1 tbsp. White onion, finely chopped
2 oz Ricotta cheese
Italian seasoning, for garnish
Red chili pepper flakes, for garnish

It turned out to be such an amazing crust for a single serving pizza, and much better than a traditional thin crust. It also gave me an idea for my next socca creation, one that has to do with sunny side up eggs and pork belly crisped bacon-style for breakfast. Something tells me socca is going to end up having it's own category on the Recipe Index page.

So now I want to hear from you. What unconventional ways have you made socca? How did it turn out? What interesting combinations would you like to try but haven’t done so already?

*How to cook socca… the MWM way:

Using this method in regard to pan-frying, I cook the socca like I would a pancake in cast-iron griddle pan on medium heat. Once it has set on the bottom and the bubbles have popped on the top, I put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes until the top has set. Sometimes I will flip it over and put it under the broiler again or use the stovetop for a crispier result.

Sweet & Savory Carrot Socca

I have a new favorite food to share with you all and it hails from across the Atlantic. If you haven’t heard of it or made it yet, you better get started. Trust me. It’s amazing. It’s stupendous. It’s grain-free, gluten free and vegan. My friends, you’ve got to try this.

Of course, I’m talking about socca.

The lovely Pure2Raw twins, Lori and Michelle, were the ones who first introduced me to this amazing dish. This dynamic duo has an entire page devoted to their passion for socca, including where their love and addiction started, their trials, and finally, their many delicious recipes where socca takes center stage. Sweet or savory, socca reigns supreme. There is no meal it can’t be a part of, it’s that adaptable and amazing.

All it takes is three ingredients to make this food of the gods. But I must warn you, patience is not optional when cooking it, and you may have to experiment until you find the right cooking method for you.

Yesterday was the first time I made and ate socca. I used Mark Bittman’s ratio 1 part garbanzo bean (or chickpea) flour to 3 parts water. I mixed six tablespoons of olive oil in with about a cup of flour and then added in three cups of water and spices (sea salt, cracked pepper, thyme, oregano, herb de Provence, and powdered rosemary. Sadly, I didn’t read the “heat the pan in the oven before putting in the batter” bit until after it was cooking in the oven. The top was like custard, areas in the middle were mutating and rising, and the sides were browning to a concerning burnt-like degree. I thought it was a flop, since I meddled during the baking process, but after letting it sit on the counter, it was good enough to make me want to try again. Mama Dazz liked the taste, but the boyfriend… not so much.

My second attempt turned out a lot better. Breakfast consisted of silver dollar socca with salt and bourbon vanilla, prepared like a your average pancake. I topped it with raspberry preserves and was quite content with the taste. My only complaint was there wasn't enough of it.

But like I always say, third time’s the charm! And the boyfriend liked it, almost as much as I did. The twins’ Carrot Cake Socca Sandwich was the inspiration for my recipe and flavor combinations, but I definitely plan on making a CCSS on my own one of these days.

For future reference, my ratio is about 1 part garbanzo bean flour to 1.5 parts liquid.

Sweet & Savory Carrot Socca

2.6 oz (1/2 c. plus a scant tablespoon) Garbanzo bean flour
4 oz Carrot Juice
1 tsp. (15 g) Olive oil
1/8 tsp. Sea salt

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl and let it sit up to an hour on the counter before using.  
Put a griddle or pan on medium heat, add a little oil to coat the base, and pour the batter in the middle like you would a pancake.
Once the bottom has set, place the pan under the broiler to cook the facing side for three to five minutes.
For crispier and charred edges, flip the socca over at least twice at thirty-second intervals.

Serves 1.

*I topped this socca with apricot preserves, ricotta cheese, tahini, and arugula. A marvelous combination of flavors that makes a tasty jamboree.