The Only Fall Quinoa Recipe You Need

Curried Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas | Photo from Whole Cooking and Nutrition

Raise your hand if you’ve been known to make the same quinoa recipe week after week after week? Same. Mine usually involves eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms, and I could make it with my eyes closed — that’s how many times I’ve prepared it.

In other words, it’s time for a new fall-back quinoa recipe. Lucky for all of us, Philly-based registered dietitian Katie Cavuto (who happens to be the dietitian for both the Phillies and the Flyers) recently released her first book, Whole Cooking and Nutrition, and she shared a recipe from the book with us. The recipe is for Curried Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas. I.e. Your new favorite fall-back quinoa concoction. Say it with me: YUM.

When it comes to Cavuto’s book, she says her advice for eating nutritiously is pretty simple. “Food nourishes. Eating is joyful. Choose foods that make you feel good,” she says. We can do that right?

Check out the recipe below.

Recipe: Curried Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

Ingredients
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (2-3 cups)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp mustard powder
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Spread squash onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, stir, and then bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside.
3. While squash is in the oven, combine the quinoa, water, curry powder, cumin, ginger, and mustard powder in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Do not stir once covered.
4. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, roasted squash, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, chickpeas, red wine vinegar, lime zest, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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