Getting into a rhythm

Mon 06 April 2009 by Ajay Shekhawat

After the weekend's foraging trip, I think I'm all set for the week. Now to work on healthy recipes for all these fruits and veggies I bought!

The breakfast situation has drastically improved. I got the 6-grain cereal from Rainbow , and it seems quite healthy and substantial. I got about 1.2lbs for $2.20 ; it should give me at least 8 servings. That's $0.28/serving; not bad. To the cereal, I add a bunch of raisins to make it nice and sweet, and walnuts. The only downside is, it take about 20 minutes to get ready.

For dinner (and several lunches and dinners this week) I cooked a large pot of my quinoa + veggies "pilaf". Here's the recipe.

You'll need:

  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2-3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2-3 hot chillies (thai, jalapeno, whatever), chopped
  • 2 cups of chopped veggies: I used red/green/orange peppers, a carrot, broccoli, etc.
  • To taste: tofurky Italian sausage
  • 1 cup quinoa
  1. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds when it's hot
  2. In 20-30 seconds, the seeds will stop popping; don't let them get burnt!
  3. Add the onions, chopped chillies and lower the heat to medium
  4. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, till the onions are well done (soft and tender)
  5. Add the spices, and stir for 30 seconds
  6. Add half cup of water, and then add the chopped veggies, and salt to taste.
  7. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  8. Add the quinoa, and 2 cups of water.
  9. Increase the heat till it starts boiling, and then lower to simmer for 20-30 minutes; stir occasionally. Halfway through this, chop the sausage (if you're using it) into 1/2 inch slices and throw them in.
  10. The quinoa will become soft and translucent all the way through when it's done.
The later you add the sausage, the more it retains the original flavor. The best part of this concoction is that you can add whatever veggies you have lying around (except for leafy veggies, of course) and it'll do. I cook a large batch and it lasts me for a few days.

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