Fried Quinoa with Cooked Vegetables from Your Refrigerator
I spent the last few months not updating my newsletter, but don’t worry, I was still writing: my cover letter and resume again, and again, and again.
I got rejected from the latest job that I had convinced myself was the dream job, or, at least something close. It’s happened so many times in the last few months that it’s hard to really keep track, but I was excited about this one! (I always am.) I saw how it could change my life, I could learn new skills, maybe most importantly I wouldn’t have to think with a sense of fear about my rent and groceries every single day.
But I was rejected again, and so I realized that it’s time to give up. I don’t really want to, I spent three miserable years in night school getting this degree, but I can’t keep being a finalist and failing. I have to actually get a job, because the rent won’t pay itself. I’ve had to switch Miss Noodle to a cheaper dog food, and the vet recommended these injectables that might help her hip pain but they cost 100$ a month. I want to get them for her, I really do, but I can’t when I’m already spending about as much on the pets some months as my own groceries. I want to get invited places again, but something about being really quite without money is that you say no to things so many times that people stop inviting you to things that cost money, and when your friends are all in their 30s with jobs… that’s everything.
So I’m trying to give up. I’ve been applying for jobs as an administrative assistant, but I can’t get those either. I don’t know what else to do, I don’t have a lot of skills. Will I be happy? Will I be fulfilled? I don’t feel like I really have the luxury of contemplating that right now. What do I want? What do I like?
I was walking around a few weeks ago and found some crack on the ground. Usually the little containers are empty but this one was full and I thought “well, that would be one way to change my routine.” And then I put it in the trash because I wasn’t really sure what else to do with it. Every day feels the same, and that would have been different, but, you know… a bad decision, I think.
Anyway, I’ve spent the last few months trying to get insanely jacked, because the city rec center is so cheap (100$ a year!) so I just go to the gym for an hour or so every day and lift weights with the old guys. They’ve finally started to accept me after about four months of regular attendance. It takes a while to demonstrate your commitment, I guess. Now one of them calls me “champ,” as in “how was your workout today, champ?” I love it. But I realized that if I want to really max out my gains I need to consume way more protein, and that’s what inspired this recipe. That, plus, I have been in a real meal prep phase, which is tough, because it is boring, but also useful, because it helps me save money.
This recipe uses almost exclusively things that I had previously prepared: a single serving a quinoa which I froze immediately after cooking (a surprising number of grains (well rice and quinoa, maybe others but I haven’t tried) can be frozen and reheated without really losing quality), roasted sweet potatoes which I had made a few nights before, kept in a big tupperware to plop alongside every meal that I eat, kale, blanched the night before for use in a weird version of spinach with miso sesame sauce. This dish is lightly seasoned because I am assuming that the leftover vegetables in your refrigerator are seasoned. If they aren’t, first of all: weird, second, idk add more soy sauce or garlic powder or whatever.
Fried Quinoa with Cooked Vegetables from Your Refrigerator
1 serving of quinoa, cooked, straight from the freezer or refrigerator
1 handful of roasted sweet potatoes (half cup?)
1-2 handful(s) of cooked green vegetables (kale, broccoli, edamame… green beans? What else is green… if you have spinach add it at the end uncooked and just wilt it.)
Small handful (or a really big pinch) (tablespoon or two???) of roasted pepitas, or walnuts (chopped)
1/2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
Sprinkle of MSG
Pepper, ground
Chili flakes (I used silk chili)
Garlic powder (not chopping garlic for lunch)
Chili crisp, if you want it (side note: have you ever read the nutrition facts on a jar of lao gan ma? it’s a good source of fiber, not that that’s the main draw, but it is kinda funny)
Egg, if you want (probably not enough protein without egg)
First, get your wok super hot. Blast it. Once it is smoking, add at least a tablespoon of oil (peanut, avocado, not canola or olive oil, ew). Move oil around. Dump in quinoa, frozen is fine. Break it up, roll it around the pan and knock off whatever thaws. Toss in oil, bits will get crispy. Once you have about a quarter of it left frozen/a good amount of quinoa is golden and darker than before add your cooked vegetables and sprinkle on MSG. Cook, tossing sometimes, until the quinoa is totally thawed. You should be able to get some color on the vegetables.
Once everything is satisfactorily browned grind on a bunch of pepper, add some chili, garlic powder and soy sauce with maple syrup. Toss briefly, add pepitas, toss a lot more. Once hot enough and mixed put into a bowl.
If you wish to fry an egg, heat your wok back up (not quite as hot, but still very hot. Add some oil, when oil is shimmering, crack in your egg, add some salt and pepper to it. Lower the heat somewhat, put a lid over it. Cook until the bottom is set. Gently flip. Count to 25 in your head. Slide on top of quinoa. Add chili crisp if you want it.