On a whim, I added cooked quinoa to this morning’s batch of egg cups and I am so excited by the results I had to share! Not only does quinoa add protein along with numerous nutrients to the recipe, it also adds structure to the egg cup itself, preventing their inevitable flop once removed from the oven.  Incidentally, I’ve got to also give credit to kale for this bonus feature because it definitely contributed to keeping the cups coiffed!

Ingredients: Makes 6 servings (egg cups)

• 5 eggs beaten
• splash of milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups shredded kale, lightly sautéed
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• sriracha sauce to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the beaten eggs, milk, salt and pepper together.
3. Add the quinoa, sautéed kale, cheddar and a squirt of sriracha and mix well.
4. Generously grease six cups of a standard muffin tray with cooking spray.
5. Divide the egg mixture among the six cups.
6. Bake 15-18 minutes or until egg mixture is firm and dry.
7. Let cool 10 minutes before running a knife around each edge and removing.

Comments:

My measurements are approximate! I basically threw these together this morning after surveying the leftovers in my fridge. I can tell you that prior to cooking the mixture is thick, almost like batter.  If yours is too wet, add more quinoa and/or kale.  Conversely, if it’s too dry, add another beaten egg.