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Dinner Recipe: Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowl

How To Make Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowl
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After you've worked all day, possibly driven the kids here, there and everywhere, the last thing you feel like doing is slaving in the kitchen for an hour prepping dinner. But you don't have to resort to takeout -- make this recipe to satisfy your belly and delight your senses instead. As an added bonus, this dish contains all sorts of things that will benefit your body: complex carbs, lean protein, good fat, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Instructions For Roasting Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 whole butternut squash, cut into large chunks

Method

Preheat your oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds and goop with a spoon. Cut into big chunks and place into a baking dish with a 1/2 inch water and cover with a lid. Bake until fork tender (45 minutes to one hour). Once cooled, cut the skin away from the flesh and either enjoy immediately with some organic butter, sea salt and pepper -- or follow the next steps to build a delicious quinoa bowl.

Instructions For A Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients

Roasted butternut squash cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

5-6 kale leaves ((or two handfuls of chopped spinach), stems removed, washed and massaged with extra-virgin olive oil)

1 whole onion, diced

Generous gluggs of extra-virgin olive oil

Optional: Freshly squeezed juice of lemon or a 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2-3 garlic cloves

Sea salt

Pepper

Method

Bring two cups of water to a boil, add quinoa and reduce to a simmer for 12 to 15 minutes with the lid on. Don't let the quinoa boil away, you will lose too much water. Once cooked, set aside.

Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss in the quinoa and serve.

*Note: Don't feel restricted to these ingredients -- use whatever you have on hand when making a quinoa bowl.

Joy McCarthy, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach of Joyous Health, loves to inspire others to eat well and live well. She is the co-creator of Eat Well Feel Well, a holistic nutrition and yoga program in Toronto. Joy welcomes your questions or comments.

Please note: All of these recipes are created in my joyous kitchen with the healthiest ingredients. I'm not a calorie counter or a professional chef, I'm a nutritionist who loves to cook and bake and I'm delighted to share my creations with you.

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