A Delicious Bowl

I'm short on time today but I wanted to share something wonderful I put together recently, inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz' Appetite For Reduction. I've only just begun to peruse this wonderful tome, and I like the "bowl" section because it feels very familiar. Basically Isa suggests grain, veggie and sauce combinations that work well. This is the way my brain naturally works anyway, as I am always juggling leftovers and reinventions. I've been in love with quinoa lately, so I went for one of those combos. Quinoa --check.  White beans -- check.   Grilled zucchini -- check, but too lazy to grill.  Romesco Sauce -- hmmmm, roasted red pepper (I had some in a jar) slivered almonds (um, I had whole almonds) red wine vinegar, yes, mustard, yes, agave, yes -- check. So that combo would be a go.

I started with the quinoa, red quinoa to be exact. I boiled it simply with half a bouillon cube. Then I pulled out the food processor and created the romesco sauce, albeit with not quite enough roasted red pepper, and slightly chunkier almonds, but it was amazing nonetheless. Finally I pulled the zucchini out of the crisper and realized it was unfortunately the granite hard one I bought for a small fortune over a month ago. Unbelievably it was still oddly rock hard. My very best knife would not even make a dent. Into the trash it went. So, another plan B -- collard greens!  I very lightly sauteed some wonderful greens and they fit beautifully into the combo slot!  I think I'm going to like this cookbook!