While my Kashi Go Lean has been... ok... as a breakfast cereal, I'm interested in adding more protein to my breakfast. Achaosofkittens has been making egg pies for a while, but that's too much work for me. I'm all about lazy easy cooking and easy breakfast preparations during the work-week.

Personal trainer Brandie of Natural, Balanced, Strong (www.nbsfit.com) out of Portland posted a recipe for an "egg bake" that I could make once on the weekend and then munch on all week. It interested me both for the ease of creation and for the implied variability within parameters. Once I discovered that quinoa is actually sold by Food Lion out here in the sticks, I had no excuse not to try it.



I admit that I was tempted to mess with this recipe right from the start, most specifically by adding bacon. But I decided that being a lazy chef was enough of "messing with it" to start, and that I might actually enjoy the vegetarian version just fine as it is. So the only real changes were not separating the eggs, and avoiding the garlic completely.

8 eggs (Me? separate an egg if I don't have to? Not a chance!)
1 box frozen chopped brick-o-spinach (defrosted and squeezed of extra water)
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1/2 cups quinoa (properly rinsed per directions)
1/2 tsp pepper (yes, I put that in)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp McCormick thyme (I didn't want to leave it out, but wasn't sure I wanted that much...)
and an unsalted-butter-smeared paper towel to grease the 8x8 pan

So far, the only note I have is that "jiggle dish gently from side to side so that quinoa settles on the bottom in an even layer" did damnall for actually making the quinoa settle. It was still suspended everywhichway in the mixture. ::shrug:: It also didn't end up cooking completely - it was a little crunchy when I took everything out. I wonder if it will finish cooking as it cools?

Initial impression of the corner cut-while-hot taste-test is that it is pretty good! I will have to see how it goes for breakfast tomorrow.