sunday lunch: ginger-lemon tea, quinoa pasta with sautéd broccoli, brussels sprouts, and ginger peanut sauce

For the past two weeks, my diet has been mostly gluten-free. Discovering Gluten-Free Girl's blog and wondering if my friend (who has been dealing with an unknown illness for 6 years) has Celiac disease, combined with my propensity to "see what happens" when I eliminate various food groups from my diet (there have been no medical reasons for these: no hydrogenated oil; no red meat; strict vegetarian; pescatarian; adding a bite of meat every three months or so; etc...), inspired me to try it out. Results? Well, I cannot say for certain the (mostly) gluten-free diet caused it, but I have felt wonderful. The only days I did not feel well were those following a night of too little sleep, which always has a strong effect on me. Lesson learned? A gluten-free diet can be awesome, but is not a substitute for sleep. What was it Martha Beck wrote? "What would you do if you knew that every good thing in your life depended on your getting enough rest? Because it does." Pause to consider for a moment all people without secure sleeping environments, and how much of a privilege is having a warm, safe place to rest your head.

But I digress. I was writing about food.

No strict recipes today, as this was a thrown-together meal. When I use a recipe, I will post it. Otherwise, take my instructions as guidelines and experiment! You know what you like.

In fact, here is a bit about my cooking philosophy. I have no pretensions about being a gourmet chef. I just love learning about food, and creating things that taste amazing. Unless it significantly affects the taste or mouth-feel, I do not peel vegetables or prepare fancy presentations. That gives me time to cook more amazing food more often. If I can minimize the number of utensils, pots, and pans I use, I will. I dislike washing dishes. I have been cooking vegetarian food for a long time. I have gotten to the point where I rarely measure ingredients, and when using another's recipe, I tweak most of the steps to fit my preferences. For me, cooking is an adventure, an exploration, and relatively risk-free. Short of adding too much salt, most mistakes can be corrected. And if I fail miserably, I just suck it up and eat it anyway (I have a small food budget, and throwing away edible food is a privilege I do not have). No one else has to know. Also, I like things spicy.


Today was my first taste of gluten-free pasta. I used quinoa-corn pasta, and it is delicious. The texture is slightly firmer but otherwise comparable to semolina pasta (traditional pasta). Nutritionally, I think it is about the same. The ginger-lemon tea always makes me feel better when I am experiencing menstrual cramps (I am not sure why). It is also very refreshing iced in the warmer months. The peanut sauce is my go-to sauce. It is easy, adds protein, and tastes yummy on everything. I especially like it over a baked potato with sautéd tempeh. Broccoli and brussels sprouts are some of my favorite winter veggies, and they happened to be hanging out in my refrigerator today.

Ginger-lemon tea
to make two cups

about 2 cups boiling water
about 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (about a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger; do not bother peeling it, just give it a quick rinse; I used a microplane directly over the cup from which I plan to drink)
about 2 teaspoons honey
juice from 1/2 lemon (again, squeezed directly into the cup)

Stir and enjoy digestion-enhancing, energizing yumminess.

Quinoa pasta with sautéd broccoli, brussels sprouts, and ginger peanut sauce
for about two servings

cooked quinoa pasta (or any pasta), a short noodle works best
about 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
3 fresh brussels sprouts, outer layer peeled, and cut in half
1/2 onion, chopped
1 t. olive oil (extra virgin or regular)
salt to taste

Sauce:
2 T. unsweetened peanut butter
1 t. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. cayenne
1 t. red wine vinegar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 t. salt (I prefer sea salt)
1/3 cup water

1. Cook the pasta and set it aside.

2. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, broccoli, and brussels sprouts in olive oil over medium heat in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), until starting to crisp and brown.

3. Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan or in a microwavable bowl and heat until combined and thickened slightly. I did this in the serving dish in the microwave, it took about 1 1/2 minutes in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.

4. Mix pasta, vegetables, and sauce together and serve.