Went for a nice walk with the new woman at work. She's lovely. Has a total head on her shoulders and believes in being a team player. Bit of a rarity these days, I'm afraid.
We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant and the woman who called me the S-word earlier this week was there. She was finishing up a meal alone and glared at us. I walked right up and said, with a nice friendly smile, "heya, how's it going?" She stood, said "fine,"sort of cordially and then tossed down her cash and walked out.
"Maybe she's mad we found her spot," said the new woman, a bit bewildered.
"Maybe," I said cheerily. And felt strangely better. Now that I have a lunch friend, I'm pleased as pilaf.
Quinoa Pilaf
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cup vegetarian stock or water
Salt and pepper
1 cup almond slivers, toasted till golden
In a 2-quart, heavy bottomed pot with lid, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Sauté onion and garlic in oil 1 minute until softened. Add cumin and coriander.
Add quinoa and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low, cover and cook 12 minutes. Remove lid. Cook 3-5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa "pops" to show its tail. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup toasted almonds. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup toasted almonds.
Quinoa Pilaf
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cup vegetarian stock or water
Salt and pepper
1 cup almond slivers, toasted till golden
In a 2-quart, heavy bottomed pot with lid, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Sauté onion and garlic in oil 1 minute until softened. Add cumin and coriander.
Add quinoa and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low, cover and cook 12 minutes. Remove lid. Cook 3-5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa "pops" to show its tail. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup toasted almonds. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup toasted almonds.
