22. Cupboard Challenge: eggs, potatoes, chipotles, onions, quinoa, spinach, garlic

The challenge is to make a late breakfast with what I have on hand.

I put a red potato in the oven and started sauteing some onions. I added garlic to them when they were getting brown, then two chopped chipotle peppers, about a quarter pound of baby spinach, a few T of cooked red quinoa,and a beaten egg. Then I took a potato out of the oven, sliced it, and finished it on the grill pan.

The dominant taste was chiptotle. I didn't mind, but for guests I would have used only one half of a pepper to let some of the other flavors shine. This dish was essentially San Francisco Joe with chipotles and quinoa, without the meat.

21.. Spinach & Red Quinoa

I took some olive oil and sauteed a clove of garlic, then mixed in some spinach. When it was wilted, I added some red quinoa I had cooked the day before in the usual way, and warmed it up. This was perfect accompaniment to the leftover cod from the night before. It could have been vegan main course too, if I hadn't used butter in the quinoa.

18. SF Joe (3): vegetarian version

Here I made San Francisco Joe in a meatless version, with Quinoa and no sausage. Accompanied by some siracha and orange slices for lunch.

Ingredients were onion, garlic, egg, spinach, jalapeños, leftover quinoa. I should have remembered the parmesan.

8. Quinoa with peppers and chicken

I made some quinoa, then sauteed some red bell and poblano peppers, with some shredded chicken and a few tablespoons of canned, crushed tomatoes. It was tasty, with the seasonings I put in. Some olives on the side.

4. Quinoa broccoli soup

This was a tasty but not brilliant soup. I toasted some quinoa in a skillet, just a handful, then added it to boiling chicken stock (which I made from the whole chicken I roasted the other day.) While the quinoa was cooking, I browned some onions. When the grain was almost done (I didn't know how long it took since I've never used it before), I added some poblano peppers and broccoli. At the end I put in the browned onions and some shredded chicken breast. Seasoning was salt, peppers, and a little juice from a can of chipotles.

The broccoli did not really blend well into the soup, because I left it in pieces that were too large. The onions could have been fully carmelized first. The broth and grain were tasty, though. I found myself working through the other contents of the soup to eat the best part: the savory broth and quinoa.