Randomly Inspired Quinoa-Millet Pilaf With Black Beans and Vegetables

There are times when I find inspiration in the strangest places. (No, seriously, it's bizarre.  Remember the song "'Things That Make You Go 'Hmmm'"? There are times when that's the story of my life.) Take tonight, for example: I have that scratchy throat/congested feeling that usually serves as the warning for an impending cold, so I had, like, zero desire to cook anything complicated.  (I think that easy meals might be a recurring theme here, no?  For the record, I really do spend most evenings being a lazy mofo.)   I was also out of soy milk for my morning coffee, so I schlepped to Whole Foods in search of some provisions.

While there, I saw a Santa Fe-style quinoa, millet, and black bean pilaf mix.  Now, I love me some quinoa and black beans, and I freaking adore pretty much anything that qualifies as being Santa Fe-style.  (The more black beans and corn you can put into salsa, the better.)  Suddenly, amidst the brain fog, an idea!  I grabbed some frozen Southwest mix vegetables and some roasted pumpkin seeds, and I scurried home.

However, I also forgot to buy the damn soy milk.  Insert long chain of expletives here.  Oy.

After kicking myself for, y'know, forgetting to buy the one thing I really needed to get, I got to work on dinner.  I put the pilaf mix in the rice cooker and sauteed some of the peppers and onions.

And then, another idea!  Tomatoes!  This would be great with tomatoes!  Happily, there was a can of fire-roasted tomatoes in the pantry, so I added a few tablespoons to the mix.

And then: Spinach!  This would be great with some spinach!  Some quick refrigerator reconnaissance revealed that we still had some fresh spinach (hubs and I go through that stuff like water), so into the pan it went.

After adding garlic, cumin, and salt, the sautee mix was ready to go.  I piled it on the newly-cooked pilaf and topped it with some pumpkin seeds and avocado.

And then, I sat my butt on the couch.  Thus commences the vegging out and doing nothing.

Yes, I'm totally watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels.  It rocks my world.