Roast Squash with Spicy Quinoa

Quinoa is an incredibly nutritious grain that can be substituted for pasta or rice. What sets it apart from other grains is that it has an unusually high level of protein in it. Most plant based foods can not be classed as a complete protein, as they don’t contain all 9 of the essential amino acids that our bodies require. Quinoa does. This is why this recipe could quite easily be served without meat and still be well balanced, providing many of the nutrients we need. If I feel i’m still needing more protein, if it has been a particularly big training day or I’m just needing a boost, then I usually serve it with some steak. This time, however, I had some salmon that I wanted to use so I added the fillets to the squash in the roasting dish with 10 minutes to go and I thought it worked really well. If I wasn’t serving it with extra protein on the side, then I would add some beans and sweetcorn in to the quinoa mix when I add the quinoa to the pan. 

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Roast Squash with Spicy Quinoa

Keyword

Butternut Squash, Kale, Pepper, Quinoa

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

For the roast butternut squash:

• 1/2 butternut squash
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch chilli flakes
• salt and pepper

For the spicy quinoa:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 piece ginger
• 1 chilli
• 1 onion
• 2 small peppers
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 125 g quinoa
• 300 ml boiling water
• 100 g kale
• 2 small beef steaks optional
• or 2 small salmon fillets optional

Keyword Butternut Squash, Kale, Pepper, Quinoa Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Servings people Ingredients For the roast butternut squash: 1/2 butternut squash 1 tbsp olive oil 1 pinch chilli flakes salt and pepper For the spicy quinoa: 1 tsp olive oil 1 clove garlic 1 piece ginger 1 chilli 1 onion 2 small peppers 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 125 g quinoa 300 ml boiling water 100 g kale 2 small beef steaks optional or 2 small salmon fillets optional

Instructions

For the butternut squash:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Peel and remove the seeds from the half of a butternut squash. Cut the flesh in to thin finger length pieces.
3. Toss them in the olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. Place in a roasting tin.
4. Roast for 40 minutes, half way through give them a mix around and scatter over some chilli flakes.

To prepare the spicy quinoa:

1. Once the squash is in the oven peel and slice the onion in to thin wedges, and slice the chilli and peppers in to strips.
2. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger.
3. Add all ingredients so far to a large lidded frying pan with the olive oil.
4. Weigh out the quinoa.
5. Boil the kettle for the hot water.

To cook the spicy quinoa:

1. When there is 30 minutes left for the squash to cook, heat the pan over a medium heat. Gently fry the contents for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add in the ground coriander and cumin and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
3. Add in the quinoa and keep stirring for another 30 seconds.
4. Lower the heat right down and pour in the water. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Season the salmon fillets or steak if using.
6. Weigh out the kale.
7. With 10 minutes left to roast on the squash either griddle the steak for 3-4 minutes each side or place the salmon fillets on top of the squash in the roasting tin.
8. With 5 minutes left to cook, add the kale to the quinoa pan and give it a stir. If the mixture has dried out pour in a splash more water. Return the lid.
9. Once cooked serve the quinoa mixture in a bowl with the roasted squash scattered over and the steak or salmon if using, placed on top.

Recipe Notes

If you make this, let me know how it goes and share your photos.  I’d also love to hear how you adapt it to suit yourself.