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Tuscan Quinoa
You know that awkward moment when you look into your snack drawer (or cabinet in my case) and realize that 3 of the 5 family-sized snacks that you purchased two days earlier are gone? And you’re the only person with access to said drawer (cabinet)?
In my defense, the servings-per-bag on the mysteriously vanished snacks were pretty low. Five is low, right?
Whoops.
But also in my defense, most of the veggies I had purchased are also gone. That counts for something.
You should know that I have a degree in making justifications for my behavior. Not really, but I should. Hell, I could be a professor of justifications.
All that aside, seeing as I didn’t have any rice and bean chips left to make um… “nachos” with I had to resort to some real food for dinner last night.
And good thing, too. Magical things happen when I eat food that didn’t come out of a bag sealed with acrylic polymers.
Tuscan Quinoa
serves 2-3 (I portioned it out into 3 servings, but they were small)
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or water)
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 T chopped sundried tomatoes, packed in oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 chicken sausage links (I used Trader Joe’s jalapeno chicken sausage)
salt+pepper, to taste
garlic powder
1. Rinse quinoa with cold water. In a saucepot, combine quinoa and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook according to package directions.
2. In a skillet, combine tomatoes and onion with a pinch of salt (to prevent browning- you just want them to sweat), saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add garlic to skillet and saute until fragrant. Remove veggies to a separate plate.
4. Half sausages lengthwise and then chop into half moons. In the same skillet you used for the veggies, saute sausage until browned.
5. With a minute or two of cooking time left, add spinach leaves to quinoa and cover, allowing them to wilt.
6. Once quinoa is cooked, add veggies, sausage, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and mix well.
To be clear, I probably could’ve eaten that entire pot in one sitting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s filling (thanks to the one-two punch of protein in the chicken sausage and quinoa), but I like bulk and this was durn tasty.
And no, jalapeno chicken sausage isn’t Tuscan at all. I am just addicted to that flavor. TJ’s does have sundried tomato and basil and garlic varieties, though. So if you want to be all authentic go with one of those.
Oh, and don’t use quinoa, because it’s absolutely not Tuscan either.
I think we’ve learned here that one should disregard my use of recipe titles from here on out.
So I justify my behavior and make blatant false claims in my recipe titles, but at least I can feed myself a damn fine dinner every once in a while.
And I’m finally running out of snacks to demolish in my cabinet.
I’d call that a win.
Simple Feel Better Soup
For some reason, my immune system has been fighting me recently.
I feel like I’ve been collecting colds like they’re pogs and it’s 1996.
Really, this is no surprise. When I stay up late, go out and have cocktails night after night and don’t take time to recharge the proverbial batteries it’s not a shock that I haven’t been feeling 100%.
After a long weekend of good old fashioned R&R I’m feeling much better. And although I didn’t feel up to blogging, I did manage to turn these leftovers into a pretty damn good soup.
Spicy Asian Noodle Soup
serves 1
1/2 cup cooked rice stick noodles, stir fried via this method
1-2 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 T Sriracha (or to taste)
1-2 T soy sauce (or to taste)
2 T chopped cilantro
1/2 t fish sauce
1/4 cup edamame
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot and heat over medium heat until simmering, adjusted spices to taste.
—————–
A pretty simple soup, but the heat and the spice felt good on my scratchy throat and cleared my sinuses right up.
So much better than canned soup. And look, Ma! All better!
How To Have a Successful Valentine’s Day
I’ve started to notice in recent years that Valentine’s Day is a highly polarizing holiday.
There are two camps: those who are in gushy, vomit-inducing relationships who use the day to shout their love from the rooftops and those who aren’t.
There are sub-groups in the second camp: those who hate V-Day with a fiery passion, those who pretend to be happy for those in relationships/profess their love for their friends, and those who are barely aware that there is a holiday occurring.
I think I fall somewhere in the middle of all three of the latter.
The truth is, we all have an opinion about this day, whether it be pro, con, or focused apathy.
And I will say that it is good to have a plan going in to a holiday such as this one. I therefore give you my tips for a successful Valentine’s Day for lovers and anti-lovers alike:
1. Eat dessert. And when you DO eat dessert, eat it out of a plastic cup like a hobo.
This will make you seem nonchalant about the whole thing.
2. If your plans include eating the “world’s hottest wings” or anything else with the word “atomic” in its name, you might want to wash your face/brush your teeth/scrub yourself with a milk-soaked washcloth before you smooch your date.
Otherwise, he/she will be in for a world of hurt. Trust me on this one.
3. If you’re going to cry about being alone, make sure you call a radio station to do it.
That way, the maximum number of suitors will hear your cry for love.
4. When dining out, make sure to order the surf ‘n turf.
Regardless of where you are dining. And especially if you aren’t paying.
5. If you really want to impress your date, take her to White Castle.
Or better yet, up the ante with some help from Pizza Hut.
6. Two words: meat. bouquet.
Both romantic and a good dinner idea.
I’ll leave the double entendres up to you.
7. Don’t forget your beauty rest.
Dark eye circles are not becoming on any of us.
And because let’s face it, if it weren’t for Hallmark this would just be Tuesday.
