In pursuing a healthy lifestyle over the last couple of years I have found the age old saying to be true: breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. This meal is so essential to how I make it through the day. Especially when a workout is planned (which is most the time) or I have a ton of errands to run. And the sugary cereal and processed breakfast foods? Nope. They simply do not cut it anymore. I need fuel that sustains. Eggs, veggies, and grains. Oh and fruit is a must too. I like me sweets.

Enter the quinoa scramble. This dish evolved out a desire to get more veggies and healthy things into my breakfast. It is simply power packed with awesomeness and leaves you full and feeling like you did a good thing for your body… because, well, you did!

And it is good. And completely customizable. That’s right. If you follow the base recipe you can play to your hearts content… or to whatever needs to be cleaned out of the fridge! The variations are only limited to your imagination.

It goes a little something like this:

Quinoa + 1 egg + veggies + seasonings = breakfast.

Oh and cheese is always optional but so worth putting in because you only need a little and it adds such a boost of flavor.

One thing I do to help this come together quickly is to make a big pot of quinoa at the beginning of the week so I can use throughout the week. Once you are sold on this recipes, you will want to do this. It saves a ton of time.

This is where I would mix in the cheese if I am adding it. But in an effort to make a “pretty” photo I crumbled the goat cheese on after spooning into the dish.

Quinoa Scramble

Recipe by: Elisabeth Norris

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• Small handful of greens (spinach, kale, bok choy, etc.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 of a tomato, deseeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8th teaspoon cayenne pepper (as little or as much heat as you like)
• 1 egg, beaten with a dash of milk
• 1-2 tablespoons goat cheese or any of the hard Italian cheeses (optional)

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add onions and saute till slightly translucent and they start to turn golden. Add in the green onions and cook a minute more. Add the greens and garlic, toss well. Once the greens are start to wilt add the tomato and cook an additional minute or two.

Push the veggies to the side and pour in the beaten egg. Scramble as you would scrambled eggs. Mix the scrambled egg with the veggies.

Add the quinoa and the spices, mix well. Heat through till quinoa is hot. Taste to check seasonings and adjust as needed.

Remove from heat and fold in cheese if using.

Servings: 1 hearty breakfast.