Dinner
I love checking cookbooks out from the library. Since I usually use them for inspiration and don’t actually follow them, I like to look through them first before buying. No sense in another cookbook collecting dust in the pantry.
Before I went to the beach, I was super excited to finally be able to pick up my copy of Veganomicon. I immediately scanned through the recipes and marked some I needed to look at closer.
Only by the time I got back from my trip, the book was due, and I never got a chance to take another look. 🙁 Time to get back on the reserve list!
One recipe definitely stood out to me, so I decided to do my best attempt at recreating it from what I could remember. The name of the recipe pretty much reveals the biggest secret: “Pineapple Cashew Quinoa”- at least I knew 3 ingredients I needed!
First up, the quinoa. (If you’ve never had quinoa, click the link to learn more- it’s so yummy!)
I love using red quinoa- it’s pretty much the same as regular quinoa, but it adds fun color to a dish and tends to have a little more fiber!
The only thing I could remember from the recipe was that it called for the quinoa to be cooked in pineapple juice & soy sauce, so I combined my 2/3 cup quinoa with 2/3 cup each of pineapple juice & water, plus a splash of soy sauce.
As the quinoa simmered away for 15 minutes, I sautéed a huge handful of cashews and a yellow bell pepper in sesame oil. As it cooked, I added 2 cloves of garlic, a few slices of chopped jalapeno, ginger, red pepper flakes, & some Worcestershire sauce.
Finally I added the better half of a can of pineapple chunks. Once the quinoa had absorbed all the liquid, I tossed it in with the pineapple and cashews to mix it all together.
Before I knew it, I had dinner ready!
All I have to say is I need to get my hands back on that cookbook. This was amazing!!! Even the husband loved it, despite me forgetting to add chicken to his portion. If this dish was this good just from me remembering the title, I can’t imagine how good it would be if I actually used the rest of the ingredients in the recipe.
I served it along with some sugar snap peas. The sweet peas went perfectly with the spicy heat of the quinoa dish.
Along with the last of my forgetter’s bread. I should’ve made a double loaf!!
What’s your favorite cookbook? Do you follow recipes?
Thoughts
I have to say I’m loving your comments on the post about my step sis’ not-so-PC doctor. 🙂 If you haven’t had a chance to ‘weigh in’ on it yet, go check it out.
What a busy day so far! I may not be at my regular day job any more, but I’m still working at a monthly clinic for patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease (aka Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis aka ALS). Today was clinic day!
First lunch, then ALS thoughts. 🙂
Lunch
Sugar snap peas!!
And a veggie burger with ketchup & spicy mustard on a whole wheat bun. Plus a pickle on the side 🙂
Lou Gehrig’s Inspiration
I only get to spend a few hours at the clinic, but those hours never fail to leave me draw-dropping-ly inspired.
Lou Gehrig’s disease is a devastating, progressive, and ultimately fatal illness. Over the course of just a few years (if that), people with Lou Gehrig’s become completely debilitated- losing the ability to walk, talk, swallow, eat, & breathe on their own.
Nobody would fault these individuals for coming into the clinic in depressed & miserable moods. That’s how I imagine I would feel.
But every single time I work this clinic, I am absolutely awed by the strength & determination these patients have. I would venture to say some of them have an even more positive outlook on life than I do. It’s simply amazing.
There are quite a few patients that come to see me that have lost their ability to talk. I hate to admit it, but my first reaction is that they’re not going to understand the education I’m giving them.
Woah. Back up. Did I really just say that?
Yes. The thought lasts just a fraction of a nanosecond, but it’s long enough to make me shudder at myself with guilt.
But what makes me proud is that I quickly, quickly toss that notion out the window, which is more than I can say for some people.
Other therapists & staff treat these patients like they’re idiots. They act as if they don’t understand anything, and talk down to them, as if speaking to a child.
But listen up. A person may not be able to talk- that doesn’t mean they can’t think & communicate.
I have two patients that constantly stick out in my mind. One of them carries a white board & dry erase marker with him. The other uses a handheld keyboard that talks a la Stephen Hawking.
Not only do they “talk” to me through these devices, they ask the most thought-provoking, brilliant questions. They just need to somebody to slow down enough to listen.
They teach me a lot.
I have no problems talking, and even I can’t form the words to say how amazing these individuals are. I feel extremely grateful to meet them.
What inspires you?
