While I love to be creative in the kitchen, I’m the first to admit that I often start with someone else’s great idea and then adapt it to make it my own. Or I take two different recipes and deconstruct them to come up with something unique.
Most of the recipes I’ll be sharing on Once Upon A Frittata‘s Food page are my originals, but I’ve also created a place to share my all-time favorite recipes that I’ve borrowed. These are recipes that I’ve deemed as perfect with no adaptation needed. I’ve called that page Something Borrowed.
My current obsession is a Cauliflower Quinoa Meatless Meatball in Coconut Turmeric Sauce recipe that I found randomly on the internet when searching for something to do with a lot of cauliflower. The original recipe is from a food blog called May I Have That Recipe? You can get the original version by clicking on Something Borrowed and clicking the link to that site.
I made the recipe as directed the first time. It was unbelievably unique and delicious, not to mention an opportunity to use my Aleppo pepper (more on that below). But after making the recipe several times I got frustrated because the meatballs were very fragile and it turned into a bit of a mess when trying to cook them on the stovetop.
The whole thing took quite a while because you kinda had to focus on the meatballs before even starting the sauce. I’ve now adapted the recipe to be a baked meatball (so much easier!!) that sticks together through both baking and simmering. I made more sauce and I made it better by increasing the spices. I now make the meatballs the day before and refrigerate them. Then the sauce comes together very quickly after work and dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
About Aleppo pepper – you probably don’t have this in your pantry drawer. I’ve come across recipes that called for it here and there over the years, so I’d add it to the grocery list and then go blind scanning the spice shelves always coming up with nothing. Found it one day when scanning for some other obscure spice and brought it home. I was so excited to finally use it when I found this recipe!
Aleppo pepper is a Middle Eastern spice made in Turkey. It is dried and ground Halaby pepper. About half as spicy as your standard crushed red pepper flakes but with an earthy, tangy depth that is totally unique. I highly recommend a trip to Whole Foods if you are going to make this recipe (might as well get your cauliflower already riced and pre-cooked quinoa while you’re there) or you can buy Aleppo on Amazon here. If you are already familiar with Aleppo and have a good recipe that showcases it, please share in the comment area below or email me!!
Another recent obsession is a recipe I borrowed for a super easy but pretty darn healthy dessert.
Check out Seedy Quinoa Chocolate Bark from Broma Bakery. It’s a mixture of dry quinoa, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, coconut oil and maple syrup baked into a bark and then topped with dark chocolate and pistachios. Literally a 5-minute prep time other than melting the chocolate which you can do while the bark bakes. I recommend making a trip to Whole Foods and buying fresh nuts from the bulk section…way cheaper that way and you don’t want pre-salted nuts. I put them in my food processor one type at a time and pulse to break into smaller pieces and then just dumped them in the mixing bowl.
I have now made this 4 times and haven’t changed a single thing because it is perfect. The key is to go easy on the sea salt for the topping, to freeze for 30 minutes to set the chocolate and then to keep it refrigerated after you break it up. I’ve made it with high quality chocolate and plain semi-sweet chocolate chips – both work just fine. I even bought edible roses to put on top because they were just so pretty – you can’t taste them so don’t worry if you don’t want to go that far.
No one really gets to “own” a recipe. Once you put it out there, anyone can take it and call it their own.
For me, it’s more about knowing that your recipe inspired someone. That they either loved your recipe or that it inspired a unique creation. Or that it just got them in the kitchen instead of the drive-thru line.
I’ve never come across a food blog that led you to another blog or recipe site. The goal is supposed to be to keep people on your own site. But that’s not the spirit of Frittata. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. I’m all about trying to let a chef know that their recipe hit the mark.
Huge shout out to May I Have That Recipe? for this unbelievable idea that is quickly becoming a cult favorite among my followers test-kitchen friends. Also to Broma Bakery (and your photographer!) for the bark recipe.
And here’s to hoping that something I’ve created hits the mark for you, and that those who create delicious food keep creating so I can keep borrowing!
Click here to jump to my Food page for more recipes or click here to browse other borrowed ideas! If you like Frittata so far, please subscribe below so you don’t miss any new recipes.
