This chickpea frittata with caramelized onion, potato, leek, and arugula is a fantastic vegan gluten-free dinner that is really tasty and looks gorgeous.

I got this chickpea frittata recipe from the Cut the Sugar, You’re Sweet Enough cookbook by Ella Leché.

We’re in an era where the word is out: Sugar is the enemy of health. The relationship between sugar and disease has been well documented – sugar causes inflammation, and excessive and inappropriate inflammation leads to disease. Refined sugars found in processed foods are the worst offenders. But, so-called “natural sweeteners” like maple syrup, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, agave, and others, when eaten in large quantities also wreak havoc in our bodies. I would also suggest that eating vast quantities of high-sugar fruits can also cause candida overgrowth and throw the body out of balance. While fruit is a health-promoting food, you can get too much of a good thing.

Reducing your overall intake of sugars is a proactive strategy for health. Quitting  refined sugar altogether is an even better approach. But, as sugar is more addictive than cocaine, getting off the sweet stuff can be a challenge. There’s a truckload of “get off sugar” programs on offer that promise all kinds of ridiculous results, and it’s difficult to know which ones are of value. Many of them are extreme in their approach, and the recipes are totally disgusting. You may as well just coat check your desire to have any fun.

Far from dogmatic and preachy, Cut the Sugar, You’re Sweet Enough by Ella Leché is a really gentle and fun approach to reducing sugar that focuses on abundance and joy rather than deprivation; and for my money, it’s a style that most people will find achievable and enjoyable. The recipes are simple, tasty, and take very little time.

For those of you who won’t know Ella, you can find her blogging over at Pure Ella where she shares quick easy recipes made with whole foods. After giving birth to her daughter, Ella was debilitated with chronic muscle weakness, shortness of breath, and severe depression. After many tests, she was finally diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a rare neuromuscular autoimmune illness with no clear cure. After removing refined sugar, as well as meat, wheat, gluten, dairy, and eggs, from her diet, Ella reclaimed her health.

Ella’s book is a celebration of the nutrient-dense, full-flavored foods that helped her return to a state of vibrant health. Her recipes either use natural sweeteners to help you wean yourself off refined sugars, and recipes that are low in natural sugar. Some of my favorite recipes include: apple-sweetened oat porridge, chickpea crepes, massaged kale salad with butternut squash, brussels sprout, pea & fresh dill soup, zucchini pasta with wild rice veggie balls. black bean, beet & spinach burgers, multiseed bread, chocolate-dipped macaroons, raw berry swirl cheesecake, no-bake chocolate mocha cake, and this frittata I’m sharing today.

Ella also shares her top 8 Steps To Cut The Sugars:

Purge and Prep – get rid of sugar and processed foods, and start reading labels.
Hydrate – drink water, flavored lemon water and fruit-infused water, and herbal teas.
Don’t Skip Meals – eat and snack regularly so you don’t binge, overeat, or grab for carb-heavy junk foods.
Eat Healthy Fats
Eat Healthy Protein
Eat Fruit Rather Than Processed Foods
Trick Your Taste Buds – make fruits and veggies more interesting with herbs and spices, and introduce spicy, salty, and bitter foods into your diet.
Distract Yourself – fill your life with fun social activities, get busy with hobbies, exercise, and treat yourself with bodywork and other wellness practices.

Get more details about these steps in the book.

There’s also a great pantry section with staples such as nuts, seeds, superfoods, oils, and grains; a fabulous sugar substitution chart; instructions for soaking and sprouting and making nut milks; and gluten-free vegan baking tips.

Let me know how you like this chickpea frittata.

Learn more about Ella, and snag your copy of this fabulous book.