Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Spiced Pumpkin Seed Socca with Sauteed Spinach and Crimini Mushrooms


It's been awhile since I've had socca, a gluten-free flatbread made from Garbanzo bean flour.  Since I was in the mood for some kind of pizza-like treat, I decided to make it last night. 

The batter is a sifted mixture of 1 cup chickpea flour,1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, whisked together with 1 cup warm water and 2 Tbl olive oil.  The batter is pretty watery and needs to rest in the bowl and thicken, covered with a towel, for at least 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, a cast iron skillet is heated in a 450 degree oven. 


When the batter is ready, take the skillet out of the oven, coat the bottom with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and throw in 1/2 cup of diced onion, and 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds tossed in chili powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned on sides and top. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. 


I served my wedge with some baby spinach I had sauteed in olive oil with crimini mushroom and onion.  The socca is more biscuity than bready, with a crisp crusty edge.  This was a nice, light dinner which satisfied my bread craving, yet because of the garbanzo bean flour it's low in carbohydrates and high in protein.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks, Mo! It really is a nice alternative to pizza.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Tiffany. It is indeed tasty, and fun to pronounce, too: Socca!!