Ever had too much work but you didn’t feel like doing any?
You sit, open your computer, and just stare at the screen. Maybe open a couple of links and waste time until the day is over and you come to the conclusion that you didn’t do anything all day.

The worst of it all, is when you do this on weekends and the weather is amazing. You lazily wake up, you convince yourself that you’ll get some work done.
After breakfast.
Or maybe after lunch?
After the afternoon nap that you tried to take but was distracted by everything on the Internet?
You’d think of taking a walk outside. But the mere thought of taking a shower or changing your clothes makes you sigh and crawl back to the couch with your head buried in your phone.

Weekend blues. Vacation blues. Weekday blues. BLUES.
I’ve even been wearing a lot of blue.

I haven’t posted in some time. Been enjoying Maamoul and swore that I won’t make any dessert until every last piece is consumed. But mom keeps making more for those who didn’t have the chance to taste them. And between being sick and stressed at work and with my personal projects, little time was given to write and less energy is available to sit down and do that.

My mind had been going through storms of ideas with few actually coming to life. The only thing on my mind was that I don’t have the energy and state of mind to do it. So I decided to write about that hoping this will help get it out of my system.

So here it is ladies and gentlemen. A recipe prepared, written and archived 3 weeks ago when I was sick, assembled at 2 am last night, and written between my morning ride to work, while the water is boiling for my morning cup of coffee, and during my lunch break.

I came up with this recipe when I was craving a pot of soup. I had a jar of vegetable stock in the freezer waiting to be used. I went by my desire, instinct and common sense rather than a recipe. I kept it vegan as an attempt to reduce the symptoms of laryngitis. And boy, it was both filling and delicious that I ate the whole quantity over lunch and dinner by myself.

Vegan Quinoa Soup

Makes 3 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3-4 cm fresh ginger
• 2 large carrots
• 6 medium white mushrooms
• 1/2 cup red quinoa
• 1/2 cup small shell pasta
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• A sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg
• A stalk of spring onion (sliced)

Procedure

• Finely dice the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook in a pot of hot oil over medium heat until soft (5-7 minutes)
• Add the spices: pepper flakes, cumin, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and stir
• Dice the carrot and add to the pot. Cook for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the red quinoa then add the stock
• Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 15 minutes
• Remove the lid, stir in the pasta and sliced mushrooms, and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the pasta and quinoa are cooked
• Ladle into bowls, top with sliced spring onions and serve immediately