Quinoa egg bake

In my gluten, dairy-full past, one of my favourite summer lunches with my mum was quiche. However I have not had it in so long that I had forgotten about it and I barely even miss it! Well I was browsing the recipe section on the whole foods website when I came across this quinoa egg bake that reminded me of those quiche days... Its far easier and healthier than a quiche, and a sort of rustic more satisfying version of one. It has no pastry but what makes the crust is quinoa. It simply sits at the bottom and gets cooked by the eggs but also gets a crunchy crust on the bottom. I added the asparagus for some extra greens and instead of the cheese on top, I sprinkled ground almonds on top however I think it would fine or perhaps better without it. This dish is truly delicious. My mum loved it because its light, but at the same time packed with nutrition and has everything you need for a satisfying meal. I served it with a big green salad and some boiled new potatoes with chives. It's best served hot but I'm sure it's lovely served cold as my dad took some to the office. Also try experimenting with different vegetables such as broccoli, peas, peppers, onions, olives, artichokes, courgette, tomatoes, sweetcorn.... the possibilities are endless!
Oh and if you were wondering, the bottom photo is my dad's slice which he sprinkled with crushed dried chilli. (my family is obsessed with chilli...)

Quinoa egg bake with asparagus and spinach - Gluten, dairy and sugar free.

Serves 6

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

8 eggs

1 1/4 cup soy milk

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp chopped thyme

2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped

150g asparagus spears

2 - 3 tbsp almond flour (optional)

salt and pepper to season

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F

2. Grease an 8 by 8 inch (or 6 by 10inch) glass baking dish with oil and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Whisk in the milk, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and quinoa. Pour mixture in the dish and jiggle gently to allow the quinoa to settle evenly on the bottom. Leave to sit until quinoa has settled if necessary. Sprinkle spinach on to the mixture, followed by asparagus, and pat down with a spatula to submerge the vegetables slightly in the mixture. Cover tightly with foil.

4. Bake in the oven until just set for about 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the top evenly with ground almonds. Return to oven and bake for until golden on top for about 10-15 minutes.

5. Leave to cool slightly, then cut into slices and serve.

With love,

Teenie Foodie