I’ve been cooking more lately.

It’s funny that now that I have enough money to buy groceries regularly, I eat out a lot less than when I had no money for groceries. Plunking down $50 a week seemed more painful than spending $5-10/meal each day and just making do with frozen stuff in between.

As such, I have a lot more things lying around my apartment that lend themselves to serious cooking than just pasta with frozen veggies. So I cook more. And every time I get a little better at it.

Tonight I made the BEST quinoa I’ve ever made and I wanted to share. It’s completely vegan (if that matters to you) and takes about 20 minutes.

I had some shallots lying around leftover from the AMAZING butternut coconut rice I made the other week (from the OUTSTANDING vegan cookbook Appetite for Reduction) so I took half of one of those and sliced it. I fried that up in a tablespoon of olive oil until they were brown, then added three large cloves of diced garlic. I let those cook for a bit, then dump in a cup of quinoa and let that toast with the garlic and the shallots and the oil until I’ve almost convinced myself they’ve changed a different color. Then I add two cups of vegetable broth, bring the whole thing back to a boil, cover it and turn it down to simmer for 15 minutes while I make whatever else I’m having with it. Sometimes I’ll sprinkle some salt over it to season it, but honestly I don’t think it really needs it.

(Mostly the whatever else has been a few Morningstar buffalo wings because GAT DAMN cooking things in a gas over makes everything more delicious, and some frozen broccoli that I cooked, drained, then sauteed in butter and toasted garlic until everything else was ready)

I love this shit. I could eat POUNDS of it. It reheats fantastically and it’s a little bit crispy from the toasting and so very, very garlic-y and wonderful.

I have been a vegetarian for going on nine years and I’m only just starting to make vegetarian and vegan dishes that push all of my salt/garlic/savory buttons. Don’t ask me if I miss meat because honestly I’ve never been able to stand it. Some kids go to college and gain fifteen pounds their freshman year because they’re free to eat all of the candy and burgers and pizza that their meal points and stomach capacity would allow. I went to college and lost weight because I didn’t have to force myself to eat stuff I didn’t like anymore.

So what about you? Do you have any awesome recipes to share?