Spam, Bear Problems, Books.

On Saturday I got two emails, Dearest in Christ, and Beloved in the Lord. Really!!! Whoever sends these, do they honestly think any intelligent person is going to respond to such stuff. Especially as the body of the emails is usually badly written with lots of mistakes. Most of such emails get filtered out, but occasionally some get through.

Bears seem to be having a hard time of it lately, there have been many reports of bears in peoples back yards, even a picture of one swimming in a pool and playing with a tennis ball. Funny to see, not funny if its your pool. There have been reports of mother bears attacking to protect their cubs and then the story in Norway of a polar bear attacking a bunch of kids and mauling several plus killing one. In the latter case the ice caps are melting and this is driving them elsewhere to seek food. Bears in North America are having problems because of the extreme heat not forgetting habitat destruction. Also if you are going to be hiking where bears live, you are risking attack. I feel very sorry for the bears, and am not sure what can be done to prevent these bear/human interactions.

Now I am reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin book 5 of his Song of Ice and Fire series. Considering the last book came out in 2006 its not surprising I am having a few problems with it. I haven’t read too many chapters yet, and there is a cast of characters at the end of the book so maybe I can sort it all out. I have decided there should be a law that all authors have to write a full book or series right through to the end before they are allowed to publish it. 5 years is way too long since the last book and there is yet another to come. Not only that, this book runs parallel to the last book, A Feast of Crows, it  isn’t exactly a sequel. Odd. I am awaiting another book which has been a long time coming, the sequel in the Jean M. Auel series which started with The Clan of the Cave Bear, a great book, her subsequent books have not been as good. Her last novel was 2002.

Having decided I like quinoa (kinwa) this recipe appeals to me.

Quinoa Taco Salad

By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

My vegan quinoa taco salad is sans tomatoes. And bean-free. No customary black beans here. But if you love black beans with a white hot passion, add 'em in. You can also add crumbled goat cheese on top, if you desire.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa cooked in two cups water
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Juice from 2 juicy limes
Sea salt, to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
1 half small red or purple onion, diced fine
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced fine
1 cup roasted corn kernels (I used frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes, then cooled)
1 large head of crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, sliced crosswise
Gluten-free tortilla chips
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, diced

Instructions

Cook the quinoa per package instructions. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Scoop the quinoa into a bowl.

Drizzle the cooked quinoa with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Squeeze on fresh lime juice and toss again. Season the mixture with sea salt, to taste.

Add in the fresh chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced yellow pepper, and roasted corn kernels. Stir lightly to distribute. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.

Line four salad bowls or plates with the fresh romaine. Spoon the quinoa salad on the center of the lettuce. Add the diced avocado to each plate. Tuck in a few tortilla chips around the edges.

Serve with an extra lime wedge.

More Options:

Add a cup of chilled, drained black beans, if you like your taco salad super hearty.

Add sliced red or yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, if you desire.

Sprinkle with the cheese of your choice.

Serve with your favourite salsa on the side.

Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 240
Carbohydrates: 41.2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fat: 4.4g
Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
Fibre: 5.4g
Sodium: 24 mg
Protein: 6.7 g

Have a great day