A Nosh-less Week.

For the last five days, I've had gastroenteritis – a stomach virus. This was no cute fluffy virus where I had a few cramps and blew my nose and it was over. This was an epic, almost James Cameron-esque sickness, which lasted far longer than it should have, and probably had a few too many twists. I will not go into details, because of all the things this blog should highlight, my intestinal fireworks is not one of them. I will say that this was the first sickness I've had where eating was the last thing on my mind. Usually with a cold, I gorge – mostly pickles, grapefruit juice, really any leftovers, passing wild animals. I just graze all day. Today, for the first time in five days, I felt hungry. I thought about food and didn't go, “Ugh.” I had to celebrate. 

The weather is getting warmer so it's grain salad season. It's the perfect lunch nice and cold out of the fridge. It's utterly customizable – whatever you're in the mood for, you can adjust it. Best of all, it's guilt free in my book. Packed with protein-rich grains, succulent roasted veggies, and tangy citrus dressing, you won't even get bored after a few days of this lunch. I'm excited for a (mild, cool, almost autumn-like) summer full of meals just like this one. And being healthy enough to eat them. 

Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad

1 c quinoa

1 medium garnet yam, diced

1 c corn (frozen is fine)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed

cilantro

cumin, chili powder, garlic powder

olive oil

2 limes

salt + pepper

First, get the quinoa going. Rinse the kernels until the water runs clear through a sieve – that dusty stuff on the outside can make the finished product more gummy. Put the quinoa in a small pot with 2 cups of water and boil, then lower to a just-there simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

While that's cooking, turn the oven to 375 and prep your vegetables. I like to roast the diced sweet potato, diced red pepper, and corn all together on one baking sheet. Toss the vegetables with ½ tsp each of cumin, chili, and garlic, a bit of salt and pepper, and about 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Make sure everything is covered in plenty of seasoning and oil, while not swimming in the stuff. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, and resist the urge to open the oven – you're more likely to get browned and crunchy bits.

Once the quinoa is fully cooked, pull the pot off the heat. In between the lid and the pot, set a clean dry kitchen towel. Let the quinoa sit like that for 10 minutes – this will help the grain absorb the remaining liquid without collecting all the left-over condensation in the pot. After that, pour out the grain onto a clean baking sheet and let it cool. By the time your vegetables come out of the oven, it should be in good shape.

In a small bowl, whisk together the juice of both limes, 1/3 c olive oil, and ½ tsp each of your cumin, chili, and garlic. Combine the quinoa, vegetables, drained beans, and dressing in a big bowl, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and toss well. It's good right away, but I like it after it's been refrigerated for a while.