This recipe is inspired by the Colombian “tortas”, crustless quiches made with egg and vegetables. A mature Colombian cheese called queso paipa and smoked-paprika-roasted cauliflower make a perfect combination together with the eggs. Paired with a salad it is a 5-ingredient delicious dinner or lunch. This easy recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Jump to RecipeHaz clic en Torta de Coliflor con Queso para la receta en español.
What are these “tortas”?
Even though countries have their specific cuisine and food culture, there are some dishes that you see all across the world. In this case, I’m talking about eggs-and-vegetables. France has the omelet, the Chinese foo young, Spain the Spanish tortilla, Italy the frittata, and Colombia has the “torta“. Although there might be technical differences between them, they all consist of eggs and vegetables.
The most common Colombian one is the torta de espinaca which basically is a crustless quiche consisting of eggs, spinach, and milk.
More Colombian recipes with eggs you find here!
Colombian Cheese and Smoky Cauliflower Frittata
For this recipe I use a different flavor combination. Roasted cauliflower with smoked paprika, and queso Paipa, which is Colombian cheese. Queso Paipa is the only type of Colombian cheese that is more mature. It is yellow, comes normally in a round shape, and has a strong (er) flavor. The flavor itself doesn’t remind me of a specific other cheese that is widely available outside Colombia. I would therefore replace it with any type of matured cheese like cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
For this dish, you’ll only need 5 ingredients: cauliflower, smoked paprika powder, eggs, milk and queso Paipa. Because cauliflower in itself can be quite tasteless, I roast the florets in the oven and add smoked paprika powder. Although the roasting takes some time, it does decrease the time the frittata needs to be on the stove to about 20 minutes. The cheese adds flavor and gives a richer consistency to the egg mixture.
You might also like:
Huevos Pericos (Colombian Scrambled Eggs) Egg scramble with tomato and scallions
Arepas de Choclo (Colombian Sweet Corn Cakes with Cheese) needs no explanation
Colombian Vegan Beetroot Salad (also known as “clown’s salad” because of the colors!)
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Do you love Colombian food? Click here for more vegetarian recipes!
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Do you love this recipe? Give it a 5-star rating below and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later.
Colombian Cheese and Smoky Cauliflower Frittata
Ingredients
- 450 g cauliflower, cut in small florets
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
- salt and pepper
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 100 ml milk
- 100 g queso paipa, grated (replace with mature cheddar or parmesan cheese)
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflowerPlace cauliflower florets on a baking tray. Add some drizzles of olive oil, the smoked paprika powder, salt and pepper and mix well. Place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit). Roast for 20-30 minutes until soft
- Prepare the egg batterMix the eggs, milk and grated cheese together. Season with salt and pepper. Add roasted cauliflower and stir again
- Cook the frittataGrease a frying pan with oil and add the egg batter. Cook frittata on medium to low heat, with the lid on, for 10-15 minutes, until the egg mixture on top has set. Flip the frittata using a plate, place back in the pan and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cooked through
- ServeServe with a salad or just as it is as a snack
