Tonight we prepared this delicious, easy to make stew and quinoa dish, adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. I’d never actually made quinoa before, and was surprised at its appearance before cooking — it’s a lot smaller than I thought. It plumps up nicely when cooked, and has a unique texture — it’s light and fluffy, but the germ separates from the grain and adds a slight crunch to each bite. Delicious.

Chris says:

This is one of my new favorite vegetarian dinners. I really like the taste of the spices with the squash and carrots.

Abbie says:

Mmmmmm! Yeah, what is that spice?

Lisa says:

There’s a bunch of spices in there, but you’re probably tasting the cayenne…

Abbie says:

Gives it a little kick!

Chris says:

By the way, butternut squash seeds look a lot like pumpkin seeds… I wonder if anyone ever roasts them?

Thad says:

I’m sure you could… mmm, thanks for making us dinner!

Abbie says:

Yeah, really .. recipe please!

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Carrot Stew
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For the stew:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4″ cubes

For the quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water

The stew:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in the dry spices. Add 1 cup water, the drained tomatoes, and the lemon juice, and bring to boil. Add the squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The quinoa:
Rinse quinoa and drain. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

4-6 servings