Greetings from Fiji! We will be based here for a few years. Plenty of adventure awaits.
That’s not to say that moving internationally is all roses. I was certainly excited to move here, but, as always, there is an adjustment period. Excitement mingles with irritation as we start to settle in. There are a lot of household issues to fix, plus the ongoing demands of work and daily life.
It’s been a little more than a week since we moved, and I’m starting to get a handle on my new responsibilities around the house.
Routine is key in staying grounded. Part of that, for me, is cooking.
We hit up a local supermarket to get the lay of the land when we arrived.
For the moment, I’m sticking to the basics. It’s best to keep things simple when life gets hectic. (Indian food is a major cuisine in Fiji, so eventually we will venture into that culinary world.)
For our first brunch, I made eggs and bacon on a bed of quinoa, garnished with parsley. Easy, elegant and comforting.
For a local touch, I added red peppers that look like scotch bonnets to the quinoa. We used scotch bonnets regularly in our dishes when we lived in Jamaica. I’m sure we will use them regularly in Fiji. We’ve already got a new stash in the fridge this week. Warning: They are very spicy.
Ingredients (for two servings):
1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp. olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 scotch bonnet, diced
2 eggs per person
2 bacon slices per person
chopped parsley for garnish
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a pot, add the olive oil, then add the quinoa. Lower heat to simmer, add salt and pepper to taste, and cover. Cook for about 15 min., or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa grains are soft.
Stir the scotch bonnets into the cooked quinoa and let sit with the heat off.
Fry the bacon in a skillet, then fry sunny-side-up eggs in the bacon grease.
Serve the bacon and eggs on the quinoa, with parsley as garnish.
ATB 