Peppery Quinoa fritatta / omelette

I'm always on the look out for foods that can be taken to an event when it isn't safe to eat the food provided. This 'kale and quinoa crustless quiche' looked worth using as an inspiration as it is a very high protein portable food.  Whilst it takes several stages as the quinoa needs precooking, it is a very simple thing to make.  The original recipe called for lots of cheese, which I can't eat, so this is more like a traditional fritatta in that it relies on the egg to hold the whole thing together.

The original recipe called for cooled quinoa to be stirred in the eggs, vegetables and sauce.  Pour into a pie dish.   Cook at 270C for forty minutes.  Eat hot if liked, but like a fritatta this is ideal picnic food eaten cold the next day.

Cook the quinoa in about double the volume water until is softening and you can see it separating into two sections.  Remember you need to rinse well or the quinoa will taste acrid from the coating. Leave the lid on while it cools.   If you need more water while cooking just add some, if you have too much tip it away.  Quinoa is much easier to cook well than rice.


I planned to make a version of this, but got lazy and after cooking the quinoa just made a stove top version for myself for lunch.

Ingredients
2 tbsp cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1 tsp stir-in pasta sauce, I used Sacla tomato and olive
1 tbsp roasted peppers ( I keep a jar of these on the go in the fridge most of the time - great for topping pizza etc)

Cook in a small frying pan like a normal omelette.  This is good hot, being fluffy and lighter than a normal omelette.  It also works well as a cold food and would be very useful as a picnic food or to take to work in your lunch box.  It is high in protein, very tasty and easy to handle.


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I ate the rest of the quinoa with lentil and carrot stew for one meal, and with fruit and cinnamon as a late desert.  It is a very versatile food, and, being a complete protein, is very good to serve to vegetarians/vegans.