Recipe time! Quinoa pilaf with butternut squash and gingered currants

Quinoa pilaf. Photo by the author.

With produce like squash and celery showing up at farmers markets, it’s time for a fall recipe.

This one works best when the key ingredients come fresh from the farm. Newly-picked butternut squash has relatively soft skin, and should only require a regular vegetable peeler; celery from local farmers has thinner stalks with an intense color and flavor. This dish also takes advantage of the tasty apple cider now available.

You can bring this to a fall potluck, pack it for lunch, or serve as a vegetarian dish at Thanksgiving. It’s protein-packed, thanks to the quinoa.

If you’re feeling creative, try this recipe with other mid-fall treats like fennel and apples. Add them raw, along with or instead of the onion and celery or bell pepper. You can also substitute sweet potato for the butternut squash. Just note that the roasting time will be shorter for sweet potatoes.

Quinoa pilaf with butternut squash and gingered currants

1 cup quinoa, soaked for 30 minutes or overnight in 2 cups water

1 small butternut squash, or ½ medium/large squash, peeled and cut into ½” cubes

¼ cup coconut or olive oil

1 small bunch farmers market celery, or 1 medium green bell pepper, diced

½ red onion, diced (optional)

1/2 cup dried currants (or raisins)

1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

¾ cup apple cider

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Start off by roasting your squash. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a 9x12” baking pan, toss the squash with the oil. Arrange in a single layer and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa and plump the currents or raisins.

For the quinoa: Measure out the quinoa, then rinse thoroughly with a fine-mesh sieve or by filling a bowl with water, swishing the quinoa with your hands, and draining several times. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and soaking water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low until quinoa grains have popped and are tender—10 to 20 minutes.

Place the currents, grated ginger, and apple cider in a small saucepan. Heat until the cider boils. Remove from heat and allow to plump.

In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, combine quinoa, squash, currents or raisins and all the ginger and apple cider liquid. Add diced onion (if using) and celery or bell pepper. Toss together, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

May be served warm or chilled.

More healthy recipes:

• Locavore beer bread
• Cucumber salad
• Matchstick zucchini salad and speedy ratatouille
• Recipes for tomatoes and watermelon