I’m pretty awful at eating breakfast. I mostly drink as much espresso as possible and jam out on work until lunch (early lunch because I’m crazy hungry by 1130am). Sometimes, I’ll eat a handful of almonds – that’s about as serious as it gets.
Now that it’s winter, I find myself craving something heartier in the morning. I’ve been tempted to stop at a fast food joint and grab an egg/cheese sandwich far more often than I’d like to admit. So, I decided to stop the temptation and figure out an alternative that’s filling yet healthy.
I saw a few recipes floating around the internet for quinoa frittatas. They seemed a little more complex than I needed, so I adjusted to make a simple, quick and delicious version of my own.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup kale (or spinach), chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup diced red onion (optional. I hate onions and subbed onion powder.)
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt/powder
- Dash of black pepper
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)
- ½ cup feta or shredded cheese of your choice (optional)
- Any other veggie you have lying around (optional)
Instructions:
- Cook quinoa according to package (typically 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water). You can let this cook while you prep everything else.
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard size muffin pan (12) with liners and spray each with nonstick cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray, but regular will do too).
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs and egg whites. Fold in all veggies, spices and cheese. Fold in quinoa. Scoop evenly into muffin liners (it won’t rise that much) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack or plate to finish cooling.
- Store in fridge for 5-7 days. Heat for 25 seconds before enjoying.
Notes:
- Muffin liners are key here. These things stick a lot – so be generous with the nonstick spray.
- There is no limit to the amounts and kinda of veggies you can add in these. Ooh, or beans! Just think of the possibilities.
- I’ll be honest – I added shredded sharp cheddar AND feta to mine. Also, cheyenne pepper.
- I stored mine in individual baggies (which is a waste, I know) so that I could quickly grab one on my way out the door.
- And duh, they’re vegetarian.
Sam Siman
Sam works in advertising/marketing by day and moonlights with startup consulting, dating profile overhauls, and event planning. She lives in Columbus with her two dogs and spends her free time writing, drinking coffee and local beers, getting zen with yoga, catching a good concert, and laughing with friends. She doesn't give a shit if you're offended by lewd language, so #dealwithit.