caramelized onion butternut squash quinoa.

Need a healthy meal that feels a little like fall but really could be amended to include ANYTHING? This is it. For those that eat quinoa regularly, you know that you can literally make a bowl with anything in the fridge. But I decided to make my all time favorite blend a little more fall.

Also, for those that don’t know/remember Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and while this recipe isn’t as exciting as my soup or crostini, it’s a good one for day-to-day eats.

Ingredients

5+ tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 onions, thinly sliced
1 cup spinach
1/2 garlic clove
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 butternut squash (peeled and cubed, small)
Parmesan
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning

Step 1: Butternut Squash (same as for my crostini, and I recommend making in a big batch to be used in multiple recipes)

once peeled and cubed, boil it all. until it’s just slightly soft (don’t overdo it). Once soft, lay the cubes out of a roasting pan and sprinkle with ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. Broil until the cubes are your desired toastiness. Let cool.

Step 2: Quinoa

Fill pan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the quinoa and cook on high heat, stirring constantly in the oil, until light browned (5 minutes). Add 2 cups water, salt, pepper and bring to boil. Cover and cook over low heat until all of the water has been absorbed (15 minutes). Scoop into your favorite bowl, add the butternut squash cubes.

Step 3: Onions/Spinach

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in pan. Then, add the onions and garlic, cook over medium heat, stirring often, until soft, deep golden and slightly burnt on the edges. Turn down the heat to simmer and leave for warming. Add spinach, salt and pepper. Stir once or twice until spinach it almost cooked then removed from heat and add to bowl

Step 4: Top with Parmesan to taste!