Talk about a marvelous new dish to lighten up the traditionally heavy Thanksgiving meal!

Ingredients

• 10 ounces butternut squash (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup quinoa
• ¼ cup chopped shallots
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
• 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds and strings. Peel and cut into ½-inch cubes and toss with the 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Heat a deep, non-stick pot. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until shallots soften slightly.
• Add the quinoa and toast it until it begins to exude a toasty aroma.
• Add the squash along with the thyme and vegetable broth. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring once or twice, until all broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon peel and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice if needed.
• Serve with toasted pine nuts and chives sprinkled on top.

This dish is very intriguing to the palette; the lemon flavor in the vegetable broth is heavenly, the crunch of the quinoa is unsurpassed in its texture, and the roasted Bnut squash provides a solidity to the dish that balances the lightness of the lemony flavor… give it a try! We made this recipe at the last Eat To Your Heart’s Content cooking class, co-taught by me and Wendy Van Wagner of In the Kitchen. This is Wendy’s recipe and has endless possibilities for variations–have fun with it!

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Robin Mallery

Robin Mallery is passionate about food! Starting from where and how it's grown, to how far that food travels to the dinner table, to how it is prepared and savored...Robin blends shopping, cooking, and eating tips with her unique Kitchen Zen and mindful meals approach to enjoying real food.

While you are waiting for her to finish the upcoming book, "Kitchen Zen: The Journey to Nourish Body and Soul in Our Changing World", you can find Robin's sporadic blog posts here or on FaceBook.

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