Quinoa Loaf

This quinoa loaf can take on any flavors you choose - from chiles and black beans, as below, to the classic combo of mushrooms and onions.  Think of this quinoa loaf as your “skinny quiche”.  Anything that’s good in quiche will be good stirred into this base of quinoa, eggs and cream.  

Stash the loaf in the refrigerator (it keeps great for several days) and warm a slice or two for a quick lunch or dinner -- especially delicious with a little topping of avocado, sour cream and a spritz of lemon.

Quinoa Loaf

10 slices

inspired by Clotilde Dusoulier's Gâteau de Quinoa, Champignons & Bacon from Chocolate & Zucchini

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups cooked quinoa

3 eggs

¼ cup heavy cream

1 15 oz. can organic black beans, rinsed with water or 2 cups home cooked beans

1 4 oz. can diced green chiles

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro

½ teaspoon sea salt

a few grinds black pepper

a couple shakes of cayenne pepper

Toppings: chopped cilantro, avocado slices, squeeze of lime, sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan by buttering the short sides. Drape a sheet of parchment paper (cut to fit) into the pan, leaving a few inches to overhang each of the long sides.

2. Heat olive oil in small frying pan then add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Crack eggs into a medium sized bowl and whisk together with cream. Add quinoa, black beans, diced red pepper, chiles, cilantro and seasonings. Stir gently to combine and pour into prepared pan and bake 20 – 25 minutes, until top has a golden crust and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes then remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Amy's Kitchen Coach Tips

• Make ahead note: You can make loaf a day ahead of when you want to serve it, just wrap and refrigerate. Reheat for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven or warm individual slices on a griddle or frying pan.

• Prepare quinoa the easy way. Rinse with water to remove the saponin, a natural coating on quinoa grains. Cook in a rice cooker, just as you would rice. The ratio of quinoa to water is 1:2.

• Set yourself free from the rules and experiment with different ingredients in the base of quinoa, eggs and cream.  (See my 2008 version and perhaps chuckle at my title, “Quinoa Bean Brunch Slices”.   I struggled so finding a name for it back then, and I still don’t like the word “loaf”, but hey, that’s what it is and I’m older and wiser now.  So...”Quinoa Loaf”.)