Tasty Tuesday!

Quinoa with Black Beans and Butternut Squash

     I'm counting the days until we finally have some spring weather here in Maryland. I've grown to love cold weather over the past few years but it's always around March when I begin to tire of those cold mornings and long for more sun and warmer evenings. One thing I do love about winter is all the starchy food I can eat without the guilt. Hey, they're squash and root vegetables. I'm trying to eat seasonally here. Don't judge me because I have to sustain myself on carbohydrates for 5 months out of the year. But seriously, who doesn't love a good roasted bit of squash or root vegetable in a stew or soup.

     It was root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc.) and different varieties of squash that sustained early settlers during the brutal winters. When the bounty of the spring and summer had ended people turned to the more hearty vegetables that could be stored almost indefinitely in root cellars or just be kept underground until needed. You heard it here folks. Root vegetables are the reason why early settlers didn't resort to cannibalism more often. Enjoy!

• 1/2 Tablespoon of Melted Butter
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Medium Butternut squash (Acorn squash works just as well)
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• 2 Tablespoons of minced Red Onion (or more if you like)
• 1 can of Black Beans
• Juice from a 1 medium sized lemon (or 3-5 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice)
• 1 Clove Garlic

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the melted butter, oil, cumin, and paprika (you can make this dish Vegan by eliminating the butter and doubling the olive oil). Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes and toss in butter and spice mixture. Roast for about 20 minutes until the squash is tender.

2. Bring approximately 1 1/4 cup of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, add the mixed red onion, and then add the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low and cook quinoa, covered, for 15-20 minutes. The quinoa will be done when all the liquid has evaporated and the quinoa is firm, not mushy. Remove from the heat, and let the quinoa sit covered for at least 5 minutes.

3. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon (or add 3-5 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice) into a small bowl. Using a microplane, grate the garlic into the lemon juice and mix well. You can add minced garlic to the lemon juice if you don't have a microplane.  

4. Add the quinoa, the black beans (as much as you like), and the butternut squash to a serving dish. Spoon the lemon juice mixture over the top of the dish and mix well.  

Serves 3-4

     Using the sweet Santoku knife to mince some red onion

Cook the quinoa and red onion until all the liquid is absorbed.

While I was waiting for the butternut squash to roast I threw down some cardboard in my kitchen and did some old-school breakdancing. 

Roasted butternut squash with paprika and cumin

Using a microplane, grate the garlic into a bowl of lemon juice (preferably while drinking a New Belgium Fat Tire)

Take care of each other!