Breakfast Casserole

This breakfast casserole is a combination of multiple recipes I found online.  It fed 7 people, including 5 who just ran 11 miles, so it may feed around 10 people who hadn't ran that far :).

14 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
6 oz. of cooked ham (or other meat or meat substitute)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 small bunches of green onion
1 cup shredded potatoes (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp milk
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chop green onion and ham and grate or shred cheese and potatoes (put 1/2 cup of cheddar to the side).

Scramble ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including a small amount of salt and pepper.  Pour into an oven-save casserole dish.   Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar on top.  Once oven is ready bake for 35-40 minutes.  Test with a knife for doneness, eggs should be fluffy and moist but not runny.

Red Quinoa

Quinoa's high protein content makes it a healthy and hearty breakfast, lunch, dinner side dish, or dessert.  It also has a great source of vitamins and minerals, and is mostly grown in high elevations sun as Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.  

Preparation: washing quinoa is important in order to remove the saponin which is a naturally occurring substance on the grain and can add bitterness to the taste.  

1 cup red quinoa

2 cups water

1 tbsp vegan butter

2 tbsp pine nuts 

1/2 bunch green onion or 1 medium sized yellow onion

Bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat, and add butter.  Cook on medium for 15 minutes.  While quinoa is cooking, toast pine nuts and set aside.

If using green onion, slide and add to cooked quinoa.  If using yellow onion, sauté for 3-4 minutes and then add to cooked quinoa.  

White Peach and Blackberry Tarts

4 White Peaches or Nectarines

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Blackberries

Honey or agave

Since the peaches thinly.  Place a small amount of mascarpone on top, then place the blackberry and drizzle with honey.  

Broil for 4-5 minutes.  

Modeled after a recipe on Pinterest with no source listed.  

Apple and Pear Balsamic Pizza

1 lb of pizza dough

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 yellow or white onion

1 red apple (Fuji or pink lady), sliced

1 pear, sliced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tbsp sugar 

Olive oil

Honey

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Roll put pizza dough onto a floured surface and onto a baking stone or baking sheet.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil evenly onto dough.  Slice onion into long strips and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Place the onions onto the pizza dough evenly, along with the juice from the pan.  Add 1 cup of cheese onto pizza.  Add the apple and pear to the pizza and drizzle with honey.  Add the remaining cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until crust has browned and cheese is melted.

Substitutes: trader joes herbed pizza dough, 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese added to mozzarella

Simple Ketchup

6 oz organic tomato paste 

1/4 cup white vinegar 

1/4 cup water 

2 tbsp sugar 

1/2 tsp celery salt 

Sauté all ingredients over low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool and then refrigerate.  If you are out of time, ingredients can be whisked and served, although it will be slightly grainy in texture.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Granola Bars

5 tbsp vegan butter

3 tbsp peanut/almond butter

2 tbsp brown/organic sugar

2 tbsp flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup honey 

3 cups dry oats (whole grain rolled oats, rolled spelt and/or wheat bran) 

1 tsp chia seeds

3 tsp sunflower seeds (or any nut)

½ cup dark chocolate chips

½ cup dried cherries without sulfur (or any dried fruit) 

Preheat oven to 325.  Melt together butter, nut butter, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and honey.  Stir in oats, chocolate, dried fruit, etc.  Pour into 9x9 pan prepared with parchment paper or vegan butter so that ingredients do not stick.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool completely.  If you did not use parchment paper, use a round-edged dinner knife and cut around edges of pan.  Flip pan upside-down onto foil or cutting board.  Makes approximately 18 servings.