As my month as a vegetarian continues on, I have cooked a lot of things I hadn’t worked with before. I have used the tofu shirataki noodles I have always wanted to try, I have cooked brussel sprouts for the first time, and I have had an eye out for other new ingredients. One such ingredient that I have never made before that I decided to use the other day was quinoa.
Quinoa is a grain-like crop that has a lot of nutritional value – including a balanced set of amino acids, plus a good dose of fiber and protein.
I decided that I wanted to use quinoa as my dinner one night, so after searching around for a few recipes I came across two that I really liked, so I combined them to make a delicious quinoa salad.
So here is my hybrid recipe for…
Lemony Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 C. quinoa
- 2 1/2 C. vegetable stock
- 1/2 C. water
- 2 C. butternut squash, cubed
- 1/4 C. chopped shallots
- 1 C. diced celery
- 1/4 C. craisins
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. evoo
- 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Steps:
Toss the butternut squash in some evoo, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing halfway through.
In the meantime, boil the vegetable stock and water and add quinoa; simmer until most water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).
Add the garlic, lemon and salt to taste to the liquid while quinoa is simmering.
Chop the celery, shallots, craisins and butternut squash and set aside.
Remove quinoa from the heat, and stir in the oil and vinegar.
Toss the quinoa with the celery, shallots, craisins and butternut squash. Chill until ready to serve. Keeps several days in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Tips:
This makes A LOT of quinoa! Before it is cooked, the quinoa is so tiny and looks like nothing, but trust me you will be shocked at how much this will make. I recommend making less than this unless you are bringing it to a picnic or a party.
I really like the versatility of this recipe because you can really toss in a lot things and the flavors would still blend. During the summertime this would be great with some summer squash or you could throw in some broccoli, pumpkin, sun-dried tomatoes – it seems like the combinations are endless.
Lastly, make sure you taste test this. I found myself adding more balsamic vinegar to boost up the flavor but it all depends on your personal pallete so feel free to add/subtract wherever you see fit.
