Quinoa

After spending a frigid week back in Chicago after sunny San Diego, I took off for the Pacific Northwest to spend a few days cooking with my mom, sister, and stepdad. Even though it's fairly grey up here, it's refreshing to be somewhere that's not covered in ice and snow.

Today, we're heading to one of my favorite towns in the Pacific Northwest, Port Townsend. Historic homes on a hill, quaint lighthouses along the seashore, and a multitude of used bookstores to peruse, it might be one of the cutest towns on earth... seriously.

As shopping fuel, i figured something nutritious and filling would be good to bring along so I started with some quinoa and added some other wintry items to complete this awesome one pot meal.

Wintry Quinoa Salad

1 cup dry rinsed quinoa
2 white onions
1 butternut squash
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

First, boil the quinoa according to package directions and set aside. In the meantime, dice the onions and cook them in some olive oil over low heat until they are caramelized (30-40 minutes). Peel and shop the squash into small cubes and roast in the oven at 450 for 15 minutes or until soft and browned.

Toss everything together in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste.

That's it! Super simple, yet earthy and comforting at the same time. It also happens to be vegan :)

Eggs are for Eaton(s)

Oh hello. It's already been a month? Props to people who write in blogs religiously throughout the holiday season.

After a whirlwind road trip to Southern California, dog in tow, visiting with everyone I could possibly squeeze in, a terrible cold has taken over my life. Adding to the misery is the fact that it's almost too cold to breathe outside, I didn't get to cook nearly enough, and visiting with friends and family made me painfully, nostalgically homesick.

Okay, enough whining. Luckily, I've had this recipe from Garrett that I've been waiting to try out. Since eggs are one of my absolute favorite things to eat, I knew they'd cheer me up. I'm generally a sunny side up, over medium, runny yolks all the way type, but the addition of half and half and cheese to these scrambled eggs may've changed my mind.

They are crazy easy, but so good I couldn't stop shoveling egg into my mouth. Seriously, these eggs embody lazy sunday brunches outdoors on warm summer mornings in SoCal. I fried up some hoe cakes (recipe to come) to go along with them, and if I'd have had a bottle of champagne, a mimosa would've made this the perfect brunch to shake of the cold weather if only for a few fleeting moments...

3 eggs
2 tbsp half and half
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar/jack mix - Sargento Mexican 4 cheese is what I use)
1 pat of butter (for pan)
salt / pepper

Add butter to pan and put on medium low heat
Crack three eggs in a bowl
Add half and half, salt and pepper
Beat
Add to pan once heated
Mix/scramble as usual
Just before all eggs are cooked, add cheese
When cooked completely, plate, add more salt/pepper to taste

Voila!