Quinoa, roasted things, and spinach

About an hour and a half ago, I found myself not in the mood to grade a single additional paper, but conveniently fried out in all my higher thinking faculties by virtue of the papers I did grade. So it was a nice night for making something particularly tasty-healthy for S. He's been digging quinoa lately, and so have I -- the texture is so light and chewy and enticing -- but I have been a lazy, lazy girl and making the kind that comes in a box with a flavor packet (from the organic convenience food brand Seeds of Change, very tasty but a big salty processed whammo of non-virtue). Instead, tonight I am emulating the quinoa with caramelized onions and cauliflower we had at Café Atlantico.

I took half a head of cauliflower and sliced it very thin, in about 1/4" slices, so it crumbled nicely. I cut a medium leek (white only, of course) into fine half-circle chiffonade and washed the hell out of it. All together, tossed in a bit of olive oil and salt, then roasted a long time at about 400° F, until everything was toasty and caramelized-y. Then I prepared some plain quinoa with bullion, which is very very easy, by the way: you just toast it in a little oil and then add twice as much liquid as you have grains, turn down to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Then I folded in the roasted vegetable bits and adjusted for seasoning, especially pepper.

Alongside: the aforementioned spinach salad. Yum!

Meanwhile: It's unseasonably hella warm here this week, as the kids say, and so the windows are open. And boy, the people next door are having quite an argument, with lots of wailing and yelling and "motherfucker"ing. I think a teenager is involved, which would explain a lot, I guess.

Posted by redfox at November 04, 2003 08:02 PM (dinner reports) | Comments (1)

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