Quinoa

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don't miss dairy

Emily Stokes
I'm a lady who loves cheese, sour cream, & ice cream, but I recently became lactose intolerant. My key focus in recreating dairy recipes is taste, but I try to be as health conscious as possible. Some of my recipes are low lactose rather than dairy free. I'm also a writer, teacher, nanny, dog mom, housewife, native Yinzer, current Californian, and social organizer extraordinaire.

Quinoa

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake from dontmissdairy.com.

Say hello to one easy and healthy breakfast bake!

I meant to get this posted weeks ago, but I’ve been behind on everything due to some health issues.

Basically, I’ve been having problems falling asleep…BIG time. I am taking steps to figure out the problem, but pretty much all aspects of my life will suffer for a time while I lie low and recover. Unfortunately, this is not something that will linger for a few weeks and pass, like a cold.

Needless to say, the overachieving lifestyle does not work for me right now.  And not getting sleep has been affecting my desire to cook in general and certainly my blogging. I’ve been struggling with it for about a month, and while the problem is better, I am still working to get back to normal. So I do apologize for my infrequent posts.

I am also more motivated to make meals healthier than ever, so expect a healthy menu! I am avoiding alcohol, wheat, and sugar, and anything else that might make my hormone levels spike and keep me up at night. Here’s a recipe that combines all my needs into one! It’s a hearty and simple breakfast bake that’s dairy-free and gluten-free.

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake from dontmissdairy.com.
This quinoa egg bake is very much like a quiche, but with a healthier crust–it’s the quinoa, of course! The idea of this recipe is that the veggies are supposed to float towards the top while the quinoa sinks to the bottom. Make sure to chop your veggies finely to achieve this. 

Once you pour the egg mixture into the baking dish, you will start to see the quinoa sinking to the bottom. Shake the dish a little bit to help the process along. Some quinoa will probably sit on top of the veggies. Using a spoon, lightly push that quinoa back into the egg mixture. It’s okay if all the quinoa doesn’t get to the bottom.

You might find that the quinoa has sunk to one side. Just manipulate it by stirring some back to the other side of the dish and letting it sink to get an even crust.

This recipe is very versatile. You can omit the onions and peppers and only use spinach, or you can add finely chopped sausage or bacon and shredded potatoes. Another idea would be to drop in dollops of goat cheese along with tomato and basil (make sure you squeeze the liquid out of your tomatoes). You can adjust the seasonings as well to fit your needs. Try sage and rosemary in place of the granulated garlic. Vegan cheese would also be a great addition to this dish, although I recommend reducing the salt to half a teaspoon if you will be using a high salt content cheese.

This Quinoa Egg Bake showcases the flavor of your eggs. Fresh, great tasting eggs will greatly add to the overall flavor. I used Egglands Best, but if you can afford it, organic pastured eggs add so much more yum.

I found this recipe on the Whole Foods website, tried it dairy-free, and loved it so much I decided to make it my own. It’s easy to make, super healthy, and high in protein. I just love how you throw everything in, shake, and bake! Simple!

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake
Serves 6
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
50 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 tablespoon vegan butter*
  2. 8 large eggs
  3. 1 1/4 cup sweetened almond milk**
  4. 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  5. 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  6. 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  7. 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  8. 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  9. 1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
  10. 1/4 bell pepper, finely chopped
  11. 2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish (you may want to use a nonstick pan for easy removal, but is not necessary). Sprinkle a small amount of black pepper, sea salt, and granulated garlic on the bottom of the dish. This will aid in flavoring the crust; set aside.
  2. Rinse your quinoa if the packaging calls for it.***In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk, garlic, thyme, black pepper, sea salt, and quinoa.
  3. Stir in chopped spinach, onion, and pepper, then pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish.
  4. Shake the dish slightly to make sure all quinoa has sunk to the bottom in an even layer. If you are using a glass dish you will be able to see it and make adjustments. Cover tightly with foil and bake until just set, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool for five minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. *I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread.
  2. **I use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Original.
  3. ***I buy pre-rinsed quinoa.
Adapted from Quinoa Egg Bake with Garlic and Thyme from Whole Foods Market
don't miss dairy https://dontmissdairy.com/

Simple Quinoa Egg Bake from dontmissdairy.com.

Herby Quinoa

Did you know that quinoa is a seed? It comes from a type of plant called a goosefoot, or Chenopodium, a species of annual herbaceous flowering plants. It looks like this as a plant:

I made the following quinoa recipe to go with our Turkey Meatballs last night. It’s not my recipe, but I tweaked it a bit to fit my likes and needs. I feel that quinoa by itself is too bland, but I love it mixed with other flavors. This a flavorful side dish to compliment meatballs or steak.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon Smart Balance Buttery Spread Light
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 14.5 oz. can (or 2 cups) vegetable broth
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/4 teaspoon lime juice (optional)

Directions:
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of Smart Balance Buttery Spread in a saucepan over medium heat. Add quinoa and toast, stirring often, for about five minutes. This is what uncooked quinoa looks like:

2. Stir in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Start to caramelize onions (see step 3). Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa has sprouted and liquid is absorbed. It should look like this when it is done:

3. While your quinoa is cooking, in a separate pan, melt 1 teaspoon of Smart Balance Buttery Spread over medium low heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 -10 minutes.

4. In your saucepan of cooked quinoa, toss in caramelized onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and lime juice and mix thoroughly. It’s so delicious!