Quinoa And Butternut Squash Salad With Bacon Feta And Pine Nuts Recipes

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUINOA SALAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 F Degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the squash and red onion in the baking sheet. Drizzle it with oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Give it a toss.
• Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in a cube of butternut squash comes in and out easily. Set aside to cool.
• To Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and salt and pepper.
• To assemble: Place baby spinach, quinoa, and roasted vegetables in a large salad bowl. Drizzle it with the salad dressing. Give it a gentle toss.
• Top it off with the cranberries, pomegranate arils (if using), and walnuts. Toss and serve.

QUINOA WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
• Place the squash in a medium bowl and add 3 tablespoons of the oil, the thyme and 2 teaspoons of salt and season with pepper to taste. Mix until the squash is well coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread squash out into a single layer. Roast until a paring knife slides into the squash with no resistance, about 30 minutes, stirring about halfway through the cooking time. Put the pistachios on a small baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in cold water in a fine-mesh strainer. Bring the broth or water to a boil and stir in the quinoa. Simmer, uncovered, until a small white spiral becomes visible in each grain, about 9 minutes. Drain the quinoa and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the pistachios, cranberries, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl and toss with the hot squash until slightly wilted. Add the quinoa mixture and toss again. Serve warm or at room temperature.

QUINOA AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD WITH BACON, FETA, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. You will only need 1/2 of the medium size squash. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
• Put butternut squash on the greased baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Let it cool slightly before adding to the salad.
• Caramelize sliced onion as described in this post.
• In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, chopped and cooked bacon, and mix with the dressing.
• Add the dressing only before serving, and add as much as you want to individual portions, as both quinoa and butternut squash tend to be on a dry side, and this dressing (when generously applied) fixes this beautifully!
• Top each individual serving with Feta cheese and toasted pine nuts (OPTIONAL).
• Note: This salad keeps very well refrigerated for up to a week, but only without dressing. Add the dressing only before serving.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place butternut squash in a baking dish dish, cut-side down. Fill baking dish with 1/2 inch of water.
• Roast squash in the preheated oven until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Add more water to the baking dish, if necessary, while roasting. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of water to release the caramelized bits from the bottom of the skillet, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, place pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Once butternut squash is cool enough to handle, remove skin and dice into 1-inch pieces.
• Combine squash, caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts, feta cheese, mint, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss salad to combine all ingredients, then transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to serve, if desired.

QUINOA SUMMER SALAD WITH FETA

Steps:

• Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Refrigerate quinoa in a large bowl until cool, about 30 minutes.
• Stir feta cheese, cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, dill weed, salt, and black pepper into quinoa.

WARM SQUASH & QUINOA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine quinoa, cumin and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, 10-13 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat until golden brown, 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately stir in squash and seasonings; cook, covered, until tender, 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add to quinoa, stirring gently to combine. Top with cheese and, if desired, pine nuts.