As the summer wears down, introducing Quinoa Janes

Transcending the seasons… Because when is kale not a good idea?

It’s been a while since I’ve sat down to write a non-Project 365 post.  And, aside from a brief foray into gluten free baking a few weeks ago pre-visit from mom, little has happened in my kitchen.  I took a vacation and since have subsided on the graces of the Whole Foods salad bar most days.  It’s that weird and wonderful time of year when the harvest is booming but the hint of the season changing is sneaking in.  Still too hot (and humid) most days to crank the oven or get a good chili on, and yet, the desire to pull out sweaters and grab for a piece of crusty bread fresh from the oven and a hearty stew are starting to come on.

Kale chips

In the between season mode, I decided today (if only because it is rainy and I don’t want to be wet) to actually cook something that captures the seasonal juxtaposition.  Truth be known, I also wanted a reason to play with the new camera today…and since Jake is tired of being a model, I figured it was as good a time as any to start practicing food photography with the new gig.  (For those curious, I opted for an Olympus PEN E-PL1… and I’m still getting the hang of it, but love it!)

Tomato pie sprinkled with nutritional yeast

Today’s menu was homemade tomato pie, kale chips, and I adjusted a vegan sloppy joe recipe to take on something of a fall note…. the tomato pie was the result of wanting it last night, but eating too many pretzels with Honeycup Mustard (a happy find on the shelf of Giant) that by the time the dough had risen, I was too full to complete the process.

Quinoa transforms this summer time dish for an autumnal touch

Typical vegan sloppy joe recipes I’ve come across are either made from TVP (textured vegetable protein/textured soy protein) or lentils.  I personally like the lentil route better–it’s obviously less processed.  This summer mainstay recipe was easily updated to give it that change of the season feel I was seeking and paired perfectly with the kale chips (because, really, what doesn’t?!).  I served mine up with some toasted wheat tortillas triangles for a finishing touch… and maybe changed the name a little, too.

Quinoa Janes

1/2 cup red lentils

1 1/2 cups water/vegetable stock

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