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Don’t gag. This is good stuff, folks.

Today was one of those days where my stomach begged me for a good vegetarian meal. This one was incredibly easy, tasted great, and had a surprisingly fluffy texture: Butternut Squash and Quinoa Gratin.

Peel and cube a butternut squash or two, spread them on a baking sheet, and drizzle with the Holy Trinity: olive oil, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Slide them in the oven at 425˚ for 30 minutes, or until they’re nice and soft.

Meanwhile, add a cup of quinoa and two cups of water to a pot with a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Make sure you rinse the quinoa thoroughly first. Never heard of quinoa? The short story is: Quinoa is a seed that cooks similar to millet or short grain rice. It’s gluten-free, can be ground into a flour for pasta, and it’s particularly great for vegetarians and vegans because it’s a complete protein. You can find it with the other grains (even though it’s technically not one) at the grocery. If you really want to geek out about it, you can learn more here.

When the water is soaked and the quinoa seeds have blossomed (you’ll know what that means when you try it!), remove the pot from heat and set aside. In a skillet, bring a tablespoon of olive oil to low heat and add finely chopped garlic (about four cloves) and shallot (I used one large shallot). When it starts to brown, add to the quinoa, along with the roasted squash, two raw scrambled eggs, and one cup of shredded/crumbled cheese (I used a mix of provolone, parmigiano reggiano, and bleu cheese, because stinky cheese rules). Fold it all together – I think I added another pinch of salt here too.

I used a 2 quart casserole dished, drizzled with more olive oil, then added the mixture. In a blender or food processor, toss a slice or two of bread (whole wheat, in my case), and grind until fine. Spread the bread crumbs on top, drizzle with (guess what) olive oil, and throw it in the oven at 400˚ for about half an hour.

The roasted butternut squash is a little sweet, which is why I loved the bleu cheese – nice salty contrast. The quinoa and eggs were really fluffy, which went well with the slightly crunchy topping.

What better way to top off this healthy, easily digestible meal than cookies? And not just any cookies. The Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever.

These are dangerously easy to make. I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but I think this is the fourth or fifth batch I’ve made in the past month. Readers, beware.

In a large bowl, mix two sticks of softened butter (8 oz), 4 oz brown sugar, and 4 oz raw sugar with one egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

In a smaller bowl, mix 8 oz of flour (today I used spelt, in the past buckwheat has worked well too) with a teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Slowly blend the flour mix into the larger bowl.

Fold in the chocolate chips. I don’t measure chocolate chips, as it implies there is a limit to chocolate, which is of course ridiculous. I usually aim for there being slightly more dough than chocolate in the end.

Spoon them onto a greased cookie sheet and pop them in the oven at 350˚ for 10 minutes. Voila!

Different types of cookies call for different types of textures. In my opinion, a chocolate chip cookie should be oozing in the middle but have a buttery crispy edge and bottom. This recipe is perfect, and I attribute it to three reasons:

1. Raw sugar. The granules are bigger than white sugar, giving them an extra crunch. (Well, I’m guessing that’s why, anyway.) Plus raw sugar is a bazillion times healthier than the white stuff.
2. Spelt flour. Or buckwheat. Or anything but white flour. Why not give a cookie a little nutrition? And if you use buckwheat, the cookies are gluten-free.
3. The ratio. Equal parts butter, flour, and sugar – 8 oz of each. The fat from the butter makes them spread out more, which helps with that crispy edge.

That about sums up my evening! If you try either of these recipes, please let me know how they turn out!