Autumn Butternut Cranberry Quinoa

with shaved brussel sprouts, toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta cheese

All the tastes and colors of autumn in one beautiful, delicious dish. Sweet butternut squash, tart chewy dried cranberries, nutty quinoa, and vibrant brussel sprouts topped with toasted walnuts, juicy pomegranate seeds,  and creamy feta cheese crumbles — this dish has it all! Serve it hot as a warm side or cold as a salad … it’s wonderful either way.

I’m playing with butternut squash this week because a couple of my yoga friends gave me several beautiful butternut squash from their garden. Their squash did REALLY well this year, so they have lots to give away! I’m grateful for that and decided, now that I’m back from vacation, it’s time to get started with these beautiful squash.

I also wanted to try this concept of “shaved” brussel sprouts because I’ve seen several dishes with them and they look just breathtaking and so scrumptious … so I tossed some brussel sprouts in the food processor, gave them a few pulses to roughly chop them and then sauteed them in a bit of oil with onion and garlic. Mmmm … yes, brussel sprouts were just the thing! My little creation needed a bit of green.

I’m rather proud of this one and hope you enjoy it!

Autumn Butternut Cranberry Quinoa with Shaved Brussels Sprouts

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: About 6 - 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 cups roasted butternut squash
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 10 – 12 oz. brusssel sprouts
• 1 medium red onion
• 1/2 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1 – 3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped … or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• Red Robin Seasoning (or salt) & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup dried cranberries (craisins)

For the top: toasted walnuts or pecans, fresh pomegranate arils, crumbled feta (or marinated feta)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and set the squash sides cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 – 30 minutes or until the squash is tender but not mushy. Remove from the oven and let sit briefly, then cut the squash into small chunks.
2. While the squash is cooking, in a medium saucepan, bring water & salt to a boil, then stir in the quinoa. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or so or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and is nutty and tender.
3. Once you have the quinoa started, put the brussel sprouts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Remove the brussel sprouts and add the onion and pulse several times to chop the onion nicely. Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the brussel sprouts and saute for several minutes more, stirring frequently until the brussel sprouts are lightly cooked and bright green in color, seasoning to taste with seasoning and pepper.
4. Toss the quinoa and brussels sprouts mixture with the roasted squash and the dried cranberries. Serve hot, topped with toasted walnuts, pomegranate arils and crumbled feta … or chill in an airtight container in the fridge and serve as a salad, topping the salad just before serving.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ © Copyright 2016, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

This recipe was shared at Foodie Friends Friday, Foodie FriDIY, Gluten Free Friday, Sunday Fitness and Food, Let’s Get Real and Hearth & Soul Bloghop.