Quinoa Greek Breakfast Basket

We just celebrated my daughters 5th birthday this past weekend and we ended up having some left over crudités. I wondered what I could make, using up those veggies & some other things I already had in the fridge so I wouldn't have to waste anything. 

I had some feta I was going to use for another recipe, but ended up not making it. I always have eggs on hand, since I'm a BAKEAHOLIC. And I almost always have puff pastry on hand, cause I just love that stuff! Broccoli, tomatoes, eggs.... Yes, I had to make breakfast!!! Although, this recipe would be great for brunch too! 

So I got to thinking... There's this amazing local coffee shop here on the North Shore, Haleiwa Coffee Gallery. They make super awesome breakfast pastries. AND, they make these yummy egg baskets from time to time. You could say this recipe is inspired by them. Same concept, different flavors, but still. OH. SO. YUMMY!!  

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family & I did! 

RECIPE SERVES 8 

What you'll need:

Sheet Pan

Bakers Cooling Rack

Two, 6 Count Cupcake/Muffin tin for large cupcakes

Foil

Ice Cream Scoop

Large mixing bowl & spoon

Pam Baking Spray

Ingredients:

1 Two count package of Puff Pastry sheets, thawed. 

**You can find puff pastry in the frozen food section of your grocery store. 

6 Strips of bacon, cooked & chopped. 

1c Blanched broccoli, chopped.

1c Ready made quinoa. I just used some leftovers I had.

1c Halved cherry or grape tomatoes. 

**If your your tomatoes are on the larger side, cut them in quarters.

8oz. Block of feta cheese, crumbled. 

**You could buy the one that's already crumbled. I was just using what I already had.

6 eggs

Thyme **I used about 5 sprigs. You can use more or less. I love thyme! To take the leaves off, grab the sprig at the top, then take your other hand & use your thumb & pointer finger to gently pull down and take the leaves off the sprig. 

Seasonings:

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Step one cook your quinoa & your bacon.

Quinoa: 1 cup quinoa, to 2 cups of water. Place in a small pot, bring to a boil then simmer till all liquid is absorbed. About 15 minutes, remove from heat when done & fluff with a fork. Be sure that the quinoa is completely cooled before adding it to you other ingredients. I actually cooked my quinoa the night before & used the leftovers from dinner. **Tip: Instead of using water, you can use chicken or veggie stock to give it more flavor.  

Bacon:

**Again, be sure that the bacon & quinoa is completely cooled before adding to the rest of your ingredients. 

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, add your broccoli, tomatoes, feta, eggs, thyme leaves (roughly chopped), and your cooled bacon & quinoa. Mix and season to your liking. Don't add too much salt, as the bacon & feta is fairly salty. Set the bowl aside and work on....

Step Three: Lightly spray your muffin tins with Pam & set aside. Now take your puff pastry & unfold it on to a floured counter or large enough chopping board. To flatten, you can use your hands or a rolling pin if you have one. Cut both sheets into 4 pieces, and you'll end up with 8 squares. Use one square per round to line the muffin tins.

Step 4: Using your ice cream scoop, scoop and evenly distribute your quinoa/egg mixture into the lined muffin tins. 

***Topping them with cheese is optional. Its totally up to you. Like I was saying earlier, I was just trying to use up whatever leftovers I had. 

Step Five: Place the tins into your preheated oven & bake between 30-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking so they can cook evenly. Check them at 30 minutes, if they seem a little wet and you see the sides bubbling with liquid, put them back in for another 5 minutes. You'll know they're done when the bubbling is very little to none & the pieces of pastry that are sticking out are golden brown. I had mines baking for about 38 minutes total. Every oven is different, so just keep an eye on them towards the end of your cooking time. 

When they're done, place them on the counter & let cool for about 5-10 minutes before taking them out. After they have cooled for a bit, use a butter knife & carefully run the knife between the puff pastry & the muffin tin to gently release them from the pan. Lift them out carefully & place them on a serving dish or plate & ENJOY! 

Pork Tofu Soup

Living in Hawaii we don't get much cold weather, but when we do, I love to to get my comfort food on. The other day I made this super yummy Pork Tofu Soup and posted it on Instagram. To my surprise, so many people wanted me to share the recipe. So here it is! Enjoy! 

Pork Tofu Soup

Ingredients:

1-2lbs. of ground pork

1 Large Onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, diced (**I love garlic, so you could actually use more or less.) 

1 Tray Extra Firm Tofu, cubed

1 32oz. box low sodium Chicken Stock

Fish Sauce (**Can be found in most grocery stores, in the Asian section.)

Sugar or your favorite sweetener. I used an organic Coconut Syrup. 

Salt 

Pepper

3-4 Stalks Green Onion, sliced 

2 bunches of Bok Choi, chopped

1 bag bean sprouts (optional)  

Heat your stock pot on medium while you prep your veggies & tofu. When your pot is ready, add your ground pork, season with salt, & pepper. I don't use any oil in this recipe since the pork has a lot of fat. When most of the meat is brown, add your diced onions & garlic. Continue to cook till the onions are translucent. Add your tofu & a few teaspoons of fish sauce. Stir & cook for a few minutes. Now add your chicken stock. Season with more salt, pepper, & fish sauce to desired taste. Bring to a boil then add sugar or your favorite sweetener two teaspoons at a time, to balance out the flavors. Once your happy with the taste, add your green onions & Bok Choi at the last minute & remove pot from heat. Stir & let cool for a few minutes and serve. 

Serve with some Siracha & garnish with fresh bean sprouts. Enjoy!! 

**Note: You can substitute with ground chicken if you'd like. However if you decide to do so, you'll want to use some oil. Sauté the onion & garlic first then add the chicken & continue to cook as described in recipe. I also like to use organic ingredients whenever possible.