Foodie Goodness

Last night I whipped up a sooper-simple quinoa recipe with junk I had lying around. (Can ya tell it's almost payday?!)
Quartered some onions, sauteed with olive oil, garlic, and diced red bell pepper until soft and a little browned. Added a can of diced tomatoes, a little can of diced green chiles, half a mini-can of tomato paste, 1 and 1/4 cup multi-colored quinoa, 2 Tbl taco seasoning, and some cumin. Mmm. Cumin. Poured 2 cups of water over the whole thing and let it simmer for 45 minutes. I added a little water at the end, to keep it from sticking. It turned out awesome - I ate mine over a bowl of fresh spinach, while Brian made tacos with lettuce, salsa, and soy cheddar-style cheez on flour tortillas. Leftovers were great at work today, and my portion (with the spinach) clocked in at under 300 calories. Yay!
Trying to whip up another miracle-we're-staving-off-going-to-the-store supper, and I stumbled across this recipe from the Post-Punk Kitchen. I did as directed... except used white vinegar, 1/2 whole-wheat flour, and added walnuts. And extra spices. Yeah cinnamon, what's up?

My great-gramma Clara's box grater, aww.

Folding in the carrot

I nudged the batter out a bit to thin the pancakes so they'd cook through.

All ready to bring to Brian's work for supper!

Suppers like this make me grateful to be more than a "cookietarian", to instead be someone who cares about eating healthy plant-based meals. There's so many times that it would seem "faster" to whip up pancakes with bisquick and animal products, but in the long run I enjoy food more because it's mindfully prepared.
A client was feeding her toddler a McDouble while they were visiting me in my office this week. It has really stuck with me because I was surprised that I had to suppress my gag reflex. I try not to be one of those "holier-than-thou" vegetarians but I was shocked at how normal it is to feed a child something devoid of nutritional benefit. I think what we put into our bodies is directly related to how our bodies, and therefore, minds, function. I think about how much less anxious Brian is, how his insomnia and gastro issues have diminished, and I have to give credit to eating well. Speaking of Brian, I should bring him his pancake supper before it gets cold. So, in conclusion:

Food is absolutely a political, social, cultural, economic, and moral issue.