More food quickly.

Vegees.

Frozen. Sauteed. Salt. Pepper.Garlic.Done.

So easy.

So good.

I see no problem eating frozen vegees. It's better than eating no vegees. And it certainly is easy. And yes, I did eat the entire plate. It was my lunch. To me, a dream lunch.

I don't worry about calories for myself. I don't count to see if I have enough at every meal. I don't worry if there are days when I eat too many and other days when I eat too few. I eat fat. I eat what my body wants. And it is happy.

So when I needed to fix something easy, this was it.

                                                               Vegetarian chili nachos.

If you are from California. you are used to beans, meat and tomatos in your chili. Period. Or just beans and tomatos. And it's good. Heavily spiced. Heavily flavored.

My son has been on a beef chili kick for months now. Goes through it like it's water. 3 pounds of chili lasts 48 hours. And I always find myself tasting it to make sure the seasonings are correct. Then regret that bite later. But I do love the taste.

Enter canned beans and tomato paste. And generous splooshes of chili powder, garlic and salt.

Exit chili 15 minutes later. No waiting for the meat to cook or worrying that it didn't. Just luscious simmering and melding of flavors. I suppose it would have been easier to open a can of chili, if I had one. But I like flavoring it myself, and adding things. Or not. And the smell and the act of cooking is therapeutic.

Add chips, cheese and seeds. Perfect. Easy, quick and all in my pantry.

Except the cheese. That was in my frig.

                                                                         Just a plate.

                                                                           Leftovers.
                                                                            Canned.
                                                                             Frozen.

It was quick. And whole. And a mess of goodness.

Quinoa with lemon juice, broccoli and Swiss cheese. Lemon pepper and salt. It tasted so very clean!

Canned pinto beans with BBQ sauce, seeds and cheese. Flavor, and lots of it. Earthy.

So.....what do all these quick and easy things have to do with the book? Simple, they were all from there, I just short-cutted them even more than the recipe calls for. And the great thing about this book, it gives you options. If you can cook, you can improvise with the help of this book. Wait.....well, you get it.

It makes you look at your pantry and think.

Love to think. Do it all the time. My husband says the meter is always running in my head, and he's right.

And when I have food done right, quickly, it gives me more time to think. About my next meal.