When I start to miss home or reminisce playing in the desert washes, I hit REPEAT on iTunes as Garth Brooks croons To Make You Feel My Love while I putz around my kitchen gathering ingredients to make salsa but in this case I ventured into my garden.
It’s a jungle out there! Earlier in the spring, I planted tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and several kinds of squash which leads us to today’s recipe which I combined with my favorite tastes of Arizona childhood. Quinoa can be mixed with just about any flavor and in this case, I added black beans, cilantro and cumin–I got perfection. Songs to soothe my soul while flavors infused with childhood nourish my body.

Quinoa and Black Beans with Butternut Squash
2014-08-21 12:14:42

A perfect fall recipe mixed with Mexican flare!
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
45 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup fresh butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash black pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Toss the cubed and peeled squash in 1 tablespoon olive oil along with 1/2 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon palm sugar and dash each cayenne and black pepper. Pour into pan and cook in pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
- In covered pot, heat quinoa with broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until all liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Take off heat and let sit for five minutes. Fluff with a spoon.
- Sautee onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until well caramelized.
- Mix quinoa, beans, onions and squash. Add seasonings and lime juice and last tablespoons of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt.
Crock Pot Style
- Cube squash and toss all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or cook on low for up to 6 hours, add an additional 1/4 cup broth.
Heather Riggleman https://heatherriggleman.com/