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| Butternut Squash Stuffed with Balsamic Quinoa |
June has started off beautifully with a blue sky and warm temperatures. The weather is
always unpredictable where we live; I've been going between shorts and
long jeans on and off since the middle of March! It'll be super hot and
sunny one week, then go back to rain for the next month, then back to
summer temperatures. It's been a while since we've seen sunshine here, making me very excited for summer! I'll be sitting in class these next to weeks studying like crazy while starring out the window longing to be outside rather than inside.
On a random note, during my family's weekly visit to Costco, my mom discovered this box of amazing-ness for me. Mango. Coconut. Almond. Biscuits. -quiet scream of joy from inside of me- I've been aware of THINaddictive's cranberry almond thins (aka biscotti that has been sliced super thin) for a long time but never really took interest in those. Obviously, I have a soft spot for anything with the word 'coconut' in it, I couldn't possibly say no. There are eight grams of sugar in one packet of 3 tiny cookies, not making these the healthiest of snacks. Nevertheless, I'm very excited to taste them (with a scoop of real vanilla ice cream...:D)I've been blessed with a rather carefree week with no tests and barely any homework. Even so, I usually have to wait for the weekend to roll around until I can try out those recipes I keep saving onto my computer. For lunch today, I made a radish soup. After pureeing the radish/potato mixture, it became this beautiful baby pink colour. But don't let the colour fool you, the added wasabi oil (I didn't have horseradish) gave an extra kick to the already bitter radish flavour. Looks are deceiving... I've decided not to share the recipe as I didn't think it was very good. Not a soup I'd bother making again. Roast your radishes or eat them raw instead. Maybe later tonight I'll attempt a Lemon Coconut Loaf...
This recipe is what I had for dinner today. I know, butternut squash is totally an autumn produce, but my mom loves it so much she seems to buy one every week. Not that I'm complaining, because it's simply delicious! It's the weekend, so I have the time to experiment and cook my own meals. To season my quinoa, I used my Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. I left out the extra olive oil today, as there is already oil used to cook the veggies. However, feel free to leave it in for some extra flavour. All the vegetables I used can be substituted for anything you have lying in your fridge; that's what I always use. This is totally a healthy recipe, filled with vegetables, low in fat, good source of fibre and protein... but not in anyway lacking flavour and texture! The rest of my family jealously watched me eat this adorable dish at the dinner table. They wish they had one too!
Butternut Squash Stuffed with Balsamic Quinoa
Yield: 1 serving
- The bottom of one butternut squash, seeds and stringy bits scooped out
- 3 tbsp uncooked quinoa
- 6 tbsp chicken stock
- Oil, for frying
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 2 white button mushrooms, diced
- ½ celery stalk, diced
- ¾ cup broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp corn niblets
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butternut squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet (rimmed because juices may flow out near the end). Once oven is ready, bake squash for 35 minutes, or until tender.
- In a small pot, cook quinoa in stock covered over high heat until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to minimum and continue to cook covered for 15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Heat a frying pan. When hot, add oil, garlic, and celery until fragrant.
- When celery becomes translucent, add mushrooms, broccoli, and water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium heat when boiled and steam vegetables for a few minutes. Add corn.
- In a small microwaveable bowl, combine balsamic vinegar and honey. Microwave for 10 seconds until honey is melted.
- Fluff cooked quinoa and add to frying pan. Add vinegar mixture and season with salt and pepper. Stir fry until quinoa is dry.
- Stuff cooked butternut squash with quinoa mixture. (There may be extra depending on the size of the hole that contained the seeds) Place back in oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
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