Everybody Loves a Quickie.

I love cooking. You know this. The kitchen is the one place where my creativity and my OCD can have their naughty little way with each other. But after a day like today, a day when I had to pretend to be smart in front of really smart people for hours on end, my culinary subpersonalities are simply not in the mood. Give me one of those housewifey "Delicious Dinners in 30 minutes!" or give me a cocktail and a take-out menu.

So far I've had difficulty amassing veggie recipes of this ilk, what with all the chopping and mincing and grating and dicing (and carpal tunnel). So I thought I'd share a few that work for me, including one I INVENTED TONIGHT. That's right people, straight from the Magic Chef to your web browser.



If you've dined at Ugly Betty frequently over the past few months, you've been served this first one so many times that, like HCB, you are secretly hoping for me to rediscover the swine. Here's the good news: now that you have the recipe, you can feel free to add bacon.

Path of Least Resistance Stuffed Peppers



4 red, green, orange, purple or yellow bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups chicken stock or chicken bouillon cubes (to taste)
1-2 leeks, chopped, white parts only
1/2 (approx) small red cabbage, thinly sliced
a handful of mushrooms, halved and sliced
1 package Halloumi cheese
any other veggies you desire: broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, fresh corn etc etc
Olive oil, salt and pepper
a couple tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the peppers on a cookie sheet or baking pan and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast until softish and starting to char on the edges, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to a boil, add chicken bouillon, and then add the cup of quinoa. Cook uncovered on med-high heat until all the water has dissolved. Take off heat and let sit covered until you need it.

Meanwhile meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft but not browned. If they start to brown, turn down the heat. Add mushrooms and optional veggies. Saute for a few minutes until slightly softened. Add the cabbage. Keep on sautéein'. Add the halloumi. Stir for a few minutes until the cheese is warm to the touch (extra points if it has begun to soften). Add the cooked quinoa. Add the parsley. Stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven. Stuff each generously with the veggie mixture. Put them back in the oven at 400 or 425 until browned on top, about 15-20 minutes.


And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...


If You Season It, They Will Eat Them Tacos

One package Lightlife Smart Ground(R) taco-flavored veggie protein crumbles
...

OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. Stop being such a pansy. Sure, nobody wants to eat this:



But what about this?



That's what I thought. Now then, what was I saying?

FILLING
1 12 oz package Lightlife Smart Ground(R) taco-flavored veggie protein crumbles
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
3-4 large garlic cloves minced
olive oil
ground cumin to taste
salt to taste
cayenne to taste

Heat approx 1 tbsp of olive oil in a 10-inch pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, jalapenos and garlic until glassy/soft. Add weird fake taco meat; sauté until heated through. Add remaining ingredients to taste. Note: you may need to add more oil as you go - I found that the "protein crumbles" tended to stick to the pan.

LIME SOUR CREAM
1 cup fresh sour cream
fine zest of one lime
juice of one small lime (approx 2 tbsp)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Stir ingredients together; die in ecstasy. Seriously, don't omit this part. It is The Secret Sauce.

WRAPPING
1 package small corn tortillas, warmed
1 ripe avocado
1 small red cabbage, halved and sliced thinly
grated Monterrey Jack cheese
fresh salsa

Assemble tacos in the manner befitting your stature. You will not be sorry.