I guess life! Football season, holidays, Super Bowl, dance competition season…leaves little time for blogging!
Anyway, I’m back (I’ve still been cooking plenty…if you follow me on insta you know that!).
And lately, I’ve been on a savory breakfast kick…not craving sweet yogurt or overnight oats as much. At Magpie they serve two things for breakfast that I LOVE LOVE LOVE…different types of quiche and the most amazing breakfast casseroles (ham and cheese is my fave).
I wanted to find a way to make something similar…with 3 requirements: it needed to be a make-it-for-the-week kind of dish, incorporate vegetables, and contain minimal starch.
Something like a crustless quiche? But heartier and more casserole-like? Bingo.
I made this Quinoa Egg Bake as is…cheese and all…then tried it sans cheese adding the fat back in the form of avocado. I love it both ways. Hil not so much (although she’s not much of a breakfast eater)…you be the judge. It’s completely customizable. And it reheats pretty well too! Just note that if any of the vegetables you decide to use have a lot of water, you should first cook them separately.
Quinoa Egg Bake with Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Avocado
adapted from Whole Foods
makes 5-6 servings
8 ounces (or more!) mushrooms, sliced…button, cremini, etc.
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa*
8 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk**
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release liquid, about 5-10 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper, increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 5 minutes longer.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch x 8-inch glass baking dish with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil and set aside.
Put quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse until cold running water until water runs clear; drain well. Spread rinsed quinoa evenly over the bottom of the greased baking dish. Spread cooked mushrooms, halved tomatoes, and cubed avocado over the quinoa.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; pour mixture over quinoa-vegetable mixture in prepared dish.
Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking, until center is set (when it doesn’t move much when the dish is jiggled), 10 to 15 minutes more. Set aside to let cool briefly, then slice and serve.
Per serving (based on 6 servings): 235 calories, 13 g fat (3.7 g saturated), 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein (2 1/2 fat, 2 protein, 1 veg, 1/2 starch)…FYI…5 servings would make it 282 cals…that’s probably what I end up eating
* Although I haven’t tried it, I imagine you could omit the quinoa…just make sure the egg mixture gets under the vegetables a little so they don’t stick to the bottom.
** I used whole milk because that’s what I buy. So that’s what I calculated the nutrition info with too.
