Cranberry Quinoa

“Aren’t seasons amazing?! Nature just knows what flavors work together.” Said so eloquently by a friend and running buddy, and that thought has really stuck with me! What goes really well with tomatoes? Cucumbers, basil, lemon, so its a good thing those all go together! What goes well with roasted squash? Dark, leafy greens and cranberries! I recently posted what I received in my Boston Organics box, and have already fallen off from my original plan. First problem: I realized the kale was in fact swiss chard, which is a little too rough for my liking to be used raw. Instead, I decided to use the swiss chard in a recreation of my side dish from the half marathon. I roasted some delicata squash rings, as per Ms. Smart’s comment, cooked some quinoa, and boiled some cranberries. Fresh cranberries are actually really bitter and unpleasant, and therefore are most often loaded up with sugar to make a sauce. To try and take some of the unpleasant bitterness without too much sugar, I boiled the cranberries in green tea and honey. This gave them just enough sweetness and softness to complement the flavors of the squash and greens really well. This meal is full of fall warmth, nutrients, and goodness. Let the seasons speak to you through your produce that week and see what you come up with, or give this fun combo a try!

Question: Do you try to eat by the seasons? What is your current favorite vegetable?

Cranberry Quinoa

serves 4-6

1 cup dry quinoa (can increase this to stretch how many people this can feed!)

1/2 small onion

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 bag green tea

1/8 cup honey

2 cups water

2 small delicata squash

1 bunch swiss chard

thyme, salt and pepper to taste

Slice the delicata squash into rings and pull out the seeds. Arrange on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray, and season lightly with thyme and salt. Roast at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes; flip, season the other side, and roast for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place cranberries, honey, and green tea bag in 2 cups cold water in a small pot. Slowly bring to a boil, and then turn heat off and allow cranberries to soak as squash roasts. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. In a large saute pan, heat the minced onion in a bit of the cooking liquid from the cranberries (or olive oil). Remove the stems from the washed greens and tear into small pieces into the pan. When the greens have wilted, add the cooked quinoa and drained cranberries. Add the squash rings from the oven and mix together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

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