The thing I dread most about travelling is returning home to the bare white walls of my apartment. It isn’t my lack of decorating skills that are causing me to be mopey, it’s the feeling that the adventure is over and I’ll have to wait a year to get my passport stamped.
So I’ve decided not to wait and am (tentatively) planning a trip to Havana for February. Of course, my pocketbook is spewing moths every time I open it and my bank account .. well let's not talk about it. My catch phrase "slave to work" will have to become reality if I want to party along the Malecón or order Cuba Libre's with my plate of Arroz con Pollo. Along with working I'll be doing my best to be frugal and cutting my non-essential spending down to the bare minimum. Bye bye lunch time indulgences at Morning Owl, I'll miss you!
Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
This is my go to 'brown bag' lunch. The ingredients change depending on what's in the fridge and how quickly it has to be made.
Yield: 8 or 4 servings, depending on how hungry I am.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water
- 1 19oz can of chickpeas (drained well)
- 1/2 English cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 100g feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 T lemon juice (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Place quinoa in medium pot, add water and bring to boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium-low and leave on stove for 15 minutes. Spoon quinoa into large bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
- Add ingredients to salad, toss, cover with cellophane and camouflage so that fridge raiders do not eat before you do. Toss before serving.
