FALL HARVEST QUINOA SALAD

Ingredients

• Quinoa

  raw

  1 ¼ cup or 213g

• Water

  2 cup or 473g

• Salt

  table

  1 ½ tsp or 9g

• Butternut squash

  winter, raw

  907g

• Olive oil

  6 tbsp or 81g

• Brussels sprouts

  cooked, boiled, drained, unsalted

  8 oz or 227g

• Onion

  raw

  ½ medium or 55g

• Lemon juice

  4 tbsp or 60g

• Lemon zest

  100g

• Paprika

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Apple

  without skin

  1 medium or 161g

• Feta

  Trader Joe's

  75g

• Cranberries

  raw

  ⅓ cup, chopped or 37g

• Parsley

  raw

  ⅓ cup or 20g

Directions

1. Add quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and let the quinoa cook for another 15 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let quinoa sit for 15 to 20 minutes so the quinoa can fluff up. Spread out the quinoa over a baking sheet so that it can cool and dry out a little.
2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Chop off both ends of the butternut squash. Peel outer skin. If you are working with a short squash, split it right down the middle. If the squash has a long neck, cut off the neck first before cutting the bulb in half.
4. Remove seeds and chop the squash into 1/2-inch chunks. Toss the cubed squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the squash onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until the squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven.
5. Trim the bottoms of the Brussels sprouts. Chop them in half, and then slice them into 1/4-inch strips.
6. Heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté them for about 2 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and cook them for 4 minutes. Season the vegetables with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
7. Chop up the apple and toss it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This helps keep the apple from browning.
8. Add the cooked quinoa, butternut squash, onions, Brussels sprouts, apple, feta, dried cranberries and parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a large mixing bowl. Toss all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve.