Spoiler Alert: I am not a vegan. Never have been. I like yogurt a lot. Too much.

This blog took a turn for the vegan sometime over the last year or so. The only reasoning I can think of is pretty simple: every time I’d buy eggs, I’d forget I bought eggs. Every wedge of cheese that’s ever been in my fridge has also grown mold in my fridge. And milk? Milk becomes cottage cheese which becomes OH JESUS I THINK I JUST DRANK THAT COTTAGE CHEESE MILK. Basically, all the non-vegan goodies I buy are forgotten about until they are very, very bad. So veganizing this blog was pretty much an economical decision. Fun Fact: I have never made a single other economical decision. Like ever. But Quiche-a-Week really is a vegan and vegetarian blog, I swear. And everyone knows how seriously I take swearing. (I take it so seriously! So fucking seriously!) And, even more so, Quiche-a-Week is a blog based on vegetarian protein sources. So here we have my good, sweet friend: the egg. Let me tell you how we’re gonna eat my friend!

I’ve preached the good word of eggs on here countless times. In fact, just last week I put poached eggs in the same category as morning sex and the two things together in a realm that is simply otherworldly (my boyfriend is really supportive of all my creative efforts). I love all sorts of eggs, I get lost on Seamless crafting the perfect delivery customized egg white omelet (seriously, it’s a hobby), I even occasionally buy the weird hard boiled eggs at coffee shops that no one else buys. And then I even eat them! This recipe focuses on the tried and true method of baking eggs inside of other things that are not eggs. A lentil cake, with its heartiness and protein and reputable carbs, is an excellent vehicle for such endeavors. Plus, any recipe that bakes instead of fries is cool by me.

But if you’re vegan, that’s cool. I came up with a something-sorta-like-eggs but totally protein-packed-like-eggs fillers for your lentil cakes. Oh and there’s some kale in here too because OF COURSE THERE’S KALE, WHAT ARE YOU? A MONSTER?

BAKED EGGS and WANNABE EGGS in LENTILS

makes 4 baked eggs or 4 wannabes

LENTIL CAKES:

8 ounces dried lentils

6 cups hot water

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of vegetable stock or water

1 cup of torn up kale

¼ cup ground flaxseed

some panko bread crumbs

smoked paprika

FOR REAL EGGS:

4 eggs

½ cup or so of low fat shredded mozzarella (or 2 torn up string cheeses because remember that thing I said about being unable to keep cheese fresh?)

FOR WANNABE EGGS:

6 ounces tofu (I used firm, soft or silken would probably work too)

1 – 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (depending on how much you like or dislike nutritional yeast)

¼ teaspoon turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

smoked paprika

½ cup of Daiya shredded cheese of your choice

Spoiler-er Alert: As of a couple weeks ago, I’m also not really a vegetarian. But let’s keep that one on the back burner for a little/forever.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make those there lentils. First, rinse them. Then, in a large pot, combine the rinsed lentils with the 6 cups of hot water. Bring to a boil and then down to a pretty serious simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes until softened. A little al dente is good because we’ll be sautéing the lentils.

If you’re making wannabe eggs, now is the time to do so. Puree the tofu with the nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt and pepper, and a dash of paprika. Set aside.

In a large pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray, sauté your garlic over medium heat. After a minute or so, add the red pepper flakes and cook another 30 secondsish. Throw the cooked lentils in there along with the oregano, basil, onion powder, and some salt and pepper. Add the kale and the extra water or vegetable stock and let the lentils cook with the kale and the extra liquid until the kale has softened. Add more seasonings as you see fit. Stir in the flaxseed. If you’re making real eggs, throw in the real cheese. If not, throw in the Daiya cheese. Once all that’s melted, remove the mixture from the heat.

Using a rounded measuring cup as a guide/mold, scoop out one cup’s worth of the lentil mixture and arrange it on the prepped pan, retaining its dome shape. Use your adorable little thumbs to make room for the eggs or fake eggs. Make this center indentation as deep as you can while still keeping a solid base of lentils. Basically, you’re just shaping these mounds into little lentil bowls and you’re doing a fabulous job. I’m so proud.

If using eggs, carefully crack them over the lentil bowls so the yolk and whites are contained within the indentation you made. If you’re using the fake egg mixture, scoop it into the lentil bowls. Sprinkle some panko crumbs over your creations and a bit of smoked paprika over that.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the egg whites have set. I overcook everything. Don’t be me.

NUTRITION:

Baked Eggs in Lentils: 274 calories // 40g carbs // 10g fat // 25g protein // 18g fiber // 1g sugar

Baked Wannabe Eggs in Lentils: 263 calories // 45g carbs // 8g fat // 21g protein // 20g fiber // 1g sugar

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