RECIPE: Sweet potato, beetroot & goats cheese frittata

Eating your five serves of vegetables a day not only helps you to meet your nutrient needs, it’s also a great way to ensure you are getting enough fibre.

Vegetables are one of the richest sources of fibre in both its forms - soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, plays a role in managing your blood sugar and appetite and ensuring healthy bowel movements. Insoluble fibre acts as a broom for your digestive tract to keep things clean and in working order. 

By hitting your daily soluble and insoluble fibre target your body will be able to maintain a healthy weight and digestive system more easily. 

This frittata, whilst it looks like a protein-focussed meal, provides a great balance of fibre. Sweet potato is surprisingly one of the better vegetables sources of soluble fibre and spinach and onion are known for their insoluble fibre content making this frittata more than what meets the eye.

Once you add the pumpkin seeds, a serving of this recipe contains around 5 grams of fibre or approximately 20% of your daily needs. 

If you find some of the vegetables are not in season where you are high-fibre vegetables such as broccoli, pumpkin, asparagus, potatoes or mushrooms could all be used in place of sweet potato and beetroot. And feel free to switch out the spinach for other leafy greens such as chard or collard greens which are both great sources for fibre. 

vegetarian, gluten free

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g sweet potato, cut into 1cm cubes
• 250g (about 3 small) beetroot, cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch spinach, trimmed or 60g baby spinach
• 6 free-range eggs
• 100ml plain natural yoghurt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 10 chives, thinly sliced
• 100g goats cheese
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Serve with dressed greens

How to make

Before you start: If you don’t have an oven safe frying pan, assemble the frittata in a greased, 20cm round baking dish or tray

• Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl, toss the cubed sweet potato and beetroot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper, spread the vegetables over the lined baking tray and place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes
• While your vegetables are roasting, heat the other tablespoon of oil in a non-stick 20cm frying pan (that is oven safe) over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion to the pan, gently stirring it for 10 minutes until the leek is soft and fragrant. If the onion starts to stick or burn, turn the heat down on your stovetop. Once the onion is cooked, add the spinach and cook until it is completely wilted. If there is excess liquid in the pan, drain it off before the next step
• When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and add them to the pan with the onion and spinach, stirring everything together to combine. Do this over a low heat
• Whisk the eggs and yoghurt together in a medium bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and then add the crushed garlic, cumin seeds and chopped chives. When ready, pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the pan. Shake the pan gently for a couple of seconds to ensure everything is evenly combined and then crumble over the goats cheese and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top. Place the frying pan in the already heated oven to cook for 30 minutes minutes or until it is golden brown and just set (a slight jiggle in the middle is perfect). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly
• Slice the frittata into four even slices, top with a pile of dressed greens and enjoy while still warm!

Roberta's tips

Store the frittata in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.