A picture of health…except for the bacon

What a strange day…about an hour ago, it was downpouring with thunder and lightning. Now it’s sunny out. Then again, it’s snowed in Baghdad today. So weird weather all over the place. Anyway, earlier today I decided that since it was raining, and since I had bought a ton of food at the Fairway the other day, and since I’m unemployed and really have nothing better to do with my time, I figured I’d start cooking. Of course, the second I put food in the oven, the sun came out.

Anyway, it’s a new year and since I no longer get the week of on-going nausea that my old treatment gave me (I switched meds in mid-December and thankfully, nausea is not a side effect of my current treatment), I am now eating much more than I had during the previous two months. Unfortunately, that also means that I’ve put some weight back on (during the first four treatments, I was eating whatever I could just to keep my weight up; with these last two treatments, I’ve still been eating whatever I wanted...hence the weight gain).

So I will now start to follow the advice of my nutritionist and nurse (and Michael Pollan, although he didn’t speak directly to me, just through his new book) – who recommend more vegetables and good protein but to limit my animal intake. With that in mind, I threw together this dish of Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Bacon (yeah, yeah, I know, I know…bacon is an animal product and has lots of fat…but really…baby steps…this is me after all…and besides, it’s still fairly healthy, at least healthier than the empanadas I ate last night!).

Currently being highlighted in all of the food magazines and cookbooks, cooks and nutritionists are raving about the benefits of quinoa – for both taste and health. Nutty and tiny, quinoa is high in protein that contains essential amino acids. It’s gluten-free and an excellent source of iron and magnesium. It’s also super easy to make and is a great canvas in which to mix plenty of tasty items…like bacon.


Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Bacon
Serves 4

¾ cup quinoa - rinsed
1 ½ cup water
1 small onion – chopped
1 small red pepper – chopped (same size as onion)
3 medium carrots – chopped (same size as pepper)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 slices applewood smoked bacon – sliced into ½ inch pieces
½ lb Brussels sprouts – trimmed and halved
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Combine quinoa and water in small pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 13 minutes until water is absorbed. Set aside.

In bowl, mix together onions, peppers and carrots with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread out onto large sheet pan. Roast in hot oven 10-15 minutes (will vary depending on the size of the vegetables – I also prefer to get them a bit caramelized). Remove from oven and set aside.

In sauté pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and to render fat. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon. Keep about two tablespoons of bacon fat in sauté pan and add Brussels sprouts. Cook over medium heat until caramelized and tender. Season with salt and pepper.

In large bowl, add quinoa, onions, peppers, carrots, Brussels sprouts and bacon. Mix in parsley and thyme. Stir to combine. Season to taste.