"Late" Lesson

What do you do when you are late? Rush? Fuss? Speed? Stress? Complain?

I was having one of those mornings a couple of weeks ago. It was the first day of Bible study and I needed to be there early. My delicious Quinoa Breakfast Casserole didn’t want to cooperate. The recipe said to cook it for 1 hour, but it wasn’t near ready as it sloshed in the pan when I removed it from the oven. 

I scurried to the car assuming there would be time to finish cooking it when I arrived. However there would be another hiccup along the way—the road construction. As I approached the worksite, the worker slowly rotated his sign requiring me to stop.

“Lord you know I don’t have time to stop,” was the thought going through my mind. However it quickly dissipated as I looked up to see the beautiful bronze eagle reflecting the morning sunlight. My thought then became, “You don’t have time not to stop.” It was then that I realized that I needed to see that eagle to remind me to pray, “Lord help me to mount up on your wings and help those of us who are weary to come to you.”   

By the time the brief encounter was over, the stop sign was turning to let me know that I could pass slowly. Not only had I had time to stop, but I had also received refreshment. 

In the end, the casserole was cooked, the coffee made and only the people behind the scenes knew of my earlier challenge.

Why can’t we just relax when obstacles are in our path and look to see the greater purpose God has planned for us?

Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

They will run and not grow weary,

They will walk and not be faint.

If you’re interested in the casserole recipe, here it is:

Quinoa Egg Bake

Serves 6

The quinoa in this recipe gets baked in the oven so it doesn't need to be precooked. Instead, it settles into the bottom of the pan and creates a moist crust. Quinoa is a super grain—it contains all 8 essential amino acids—making it a complete protein.

Ingredients: 

• 1 teaspoon butter (I used cooking spray instead)
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
• I didn’t have all of the spices so I substituted in some Tony Chachere's seasoning and garlic salt. I also added a few chopped mushrooms 
• I doubled the recipe and put in 9 x 13” pan

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8-inch baking dish; set aside.

Put quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold running water until water runs clear; drain well.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and quinoa. Stir in spinach then pour mixture into prepared dish. Cover tightly with foil then jiggle dish gently from side to side so that quinoa settles on the bottom in an even layer. Bake until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle top evenly with cheese. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes more. Set aside to let cool briefly, then slice and serve.

I mixed the night before and covered with foil and placed in the refrigerator. I also mixed in ½ of the Romano Cheese when mixing. It took much longer to cook than the recipe said, so I began stirring the mixture to make it thicken faster which mixed the quinoa into the mixture instead of forming the crust as recipe stated. I also finished it off in the microwave and then topped with the rest of the Romano Cheese.

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