Oishii!

My notes: It’s not quite autumn yet, but our temperatures have finally “fallen” and I’m starting to crave seasonal foods. I’m kicking off the season with a delicious quinoa recipe, which would make a perfect Thanksgiving dish. The cayenne pepper nicely balances out the sweetness of the roasted butternut squash and carrots.

Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Parsnips, and Carrots (recipe by “Oishii!”)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 3/4″ pieces
• 1 1/2 cups parsnips, cut into 3/4″ pieces
• 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 3/4″ pieces
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 3/4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian dish)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut parchment in half and fold into two pockets. Spread out the carrots and parsnips into a single layer on one half and the butternut squash on the other. Drizzle vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast about 30 minutes until tender. The butternut squash will be ready before the carrots and parsnips.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa with water in a fine mesh strainer.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until the onion softens. Add the quinoa. Cook for a few minutes. Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook covered until quinoa is done and liquid is absorbed. Add some water if necessary. Mix cooked quinoa and roasted vegetables in a large bowl. Add more kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

More quinoa recipes: Quinoa and Vegetable Paella

What’s oishii? “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious. I love sharing great recipes I discover from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs. I also develop my own. Please contact me if there is a recipe you would like the test kitchen to consider: michaelwbeyer@hotmail.com

Do you have some interesting recipes for quinoa? If you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you! Please leave some feedback in the comments section below. -Michael

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