Red Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans

The Gluten Free Goddess has this recipe on the blog for Thanksgiving. So don't walk, run over there and see how gorgeous this dish is, then make it for your own feast.

Red Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans

I find red quinoa is a tad more crunchy than the usual quinoa I cook, so I add a bit more water to make it softer. If you like your quinoa al dente, use a grain to liquid ratio of 1:2 with red quinoa. If you prefer it a little softer, add another 1/4 cup water.

You'll need:

1 cup red quinoa (I used Ancient Harvest Red Quinoa)

Cook the red quinoa in a rice cooker, using a 1:2 ratio of 1 cup red quinoa to 2 cups water. As mentioned above, if you like it softer, add an additional 1/4 cup water. If you don't have a rice cooker, cook the quinoa on the stove in a pot, according to package directions.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium roasting pan add:

1 smallish butternut squash, peeled and diced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved or chopped as you prefer

1/2 of a medium red onion, diced fine

1 clove of garlic, minced

Drizzle the butternut squash, cranberries, onion and garlic with a little olive oil, to coat. Add a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup- not too much. Sprinkle with sea salt. Toss everything together. Roast in the top half of the oven until the squash is tender- about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan and set aside.

In a large dry skillet, add:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat the skillet and lightly toast the pecans briefly, till fragrant.

Add in the cooked quinoa and the butternut mixture.

Add:

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

A sprinkle of cumin, ginger or curry, to taste

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Drizzle the quinoa mixture with some fruity extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Heat through gently.

Serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/01/red-quinoa-with-butternet-squash.html#ixzz163wsZpWA

Roasted Squash and Mushroom Penne Pasta Recipe

1 large butternut squash cut into cubes

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic

1-2 tsp olive oil

2 portobello mushrooms sliced

8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced

8 oz shitake mushrooms sliced

1 cup clean eating mushroom soup, see recipe below

2 fresh sage leaves sliced

1/2 tsp fresh parsley chopped

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Parmesan cheese

1 box gluten free penne pasta

Directions:

Coat the squash, garlic and onion in olive oil and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30-45 min or until the squash has softened.

Slice mushrooms and saute in pan with a little oil. While those are cooking, cook your pasta and drain.

You can prepare this dish up til this point and finish cooking it later in the day or even the next day.

Mix pasta, mushrooms, squash, garlic, onions, seasonings and mushroom soup. I added the squash around the edges but you can mix it all the way through. Bake in oven for 20 minutes covered, sprinkle with cheese, keep uncovered and bake 10-15 min more.

http://www.thewholegang.org/2010/11/roasted-squash-and-mushroom-penne-pasta-recipe/

Clean Eating Cream Of Mushroom Soup
(Makes 6 servings)

This can be frozen-a great time-saver

Ingredients
1 lb. mushrooms (whatever type you enjoy most)
4 cups chicken broth (no sugar added, low sodium is good. Home made is best)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup gluten-free flour
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cups non-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk

Directions

For this recipe, you will need:

• 1 large soup pot
• 1 large frying pan

Step 2 – Saute the mushrooms in the oil. This is a very small amount of oil for one pound of mushrooms. But if you keep the heat low, the mushrooms will release their own moisture and before you know it you’ll have a bunch of water in the pan that won’t allow them to burn. Just get the pan hot over high heat and then immediately turn to low heat. Stir frequently.

Step 3 – When the liquid comes out of the mushrooms, add the balsamic vinegar. Then, the flour, which will soak up all the liquid pretty quickly.

Step 4 – Put the chicken broth into your soup pot. Transfer the mushrooms to the same pot and combine with the broth.

Step 5 – Add milk.

Step 6 – Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Step 9 – Allow to cool in the pot. If you will be eating this, season to taste with salt and pepper. If you will be using this soup for other recipes, do not add salt at this time.

mushroom soup source: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-cream-of-mushroom-soup/

Gluten Free Maple Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed w/ Cornbread Dressing

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe

Pick deep green same-sized acorn squash. Figure on half a medium squash per person.

Crank the oven to 400 degrees F.

Carefully slice the acorn squash in half, lengthwise. Clean out the seeds with a spoon. Place the squash in a broiler or roasting pan. If any of the squash is tippy, slice a thin piece off the bottom to make it sit still.

Pour some water into the pan- you'll need a good inch or two (this helps keep the squash from scorching/sticking to the pan). Drizzle the squash with fruity olive oil and some pure maple syrup until it collects in the hollow. Season with sea salt.

Place the pan into the preheated oven.

Roast the squash until it is fork tender. Easy, right? And delicious.

Serve as is- or...

Pour off the maple syrup into a measuring cup; stuff the squash with my cornbread dressing; pour the maple syrup on top and re-bake it till heated through (my Cornbread Stuffing with Curried Apple & Cranberries follows). Voila! A vegan holiday entree.

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe with Curried Apples and Cranberries

If you're not a fan of cornbread or need to be corn-free, don't fret. This recipe works with any gluten-free bread, cubed and lightly toasted. I've made this recipe vegan- without eggs or dairy- but if you prefer a more traditional recipe, see omnivore-friendly notes below.

Start by making a pan of your favorite gluten-free vegan cornbread. Here's one of my recipes for a delicious cornbread http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/12/skillet-cornbread-with-green-chiles.html

Plan on making an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cornbread two to three days ahead; cut it up into 5 or 6 squares and freeze.

Before making your stuffing, allow the cornbread to thaw a little bit. Cut the squares into cubes before it's totally defrosted. This makes for easier slicing and it will crumble much less.

To start the dressing:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Toast the cornbread cubes on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them so they don't get too browned. When they're nicely toasted remove the baking sheet from the oven, set aside and allow the cubes to cool.

4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to taste- or use melted vegan butter, if you prefer

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced sweet or purple onion

2 large Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 teaspoon thyme, dried

1-2 teaspoons mild gluten-free curry powder, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup fresh chopped cranberries

1 cup light vegetable broth- more, as needed

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Heat about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large deep skillet, stir in the thyme, curry and cinnamon; add the celery, onion and apples; cook until softened. Remove the skillet from the burner and set aside to cool a bit.

Add in the chopped cranberries.

Stir in the toasted cornbread. Mix well. Add a little more olive oil, and the broth, pouring in a little at a time and gently stirring to combine. Add the maple syrup. Stir. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Some folks like a very soft dressing- if you are one of these, feel free to add more broth.

Options:

• Use for stuffing roasted acorn squash (see above for roasting squash).

• Dear Reader, if you happen to be a turkey loving omnivore- grab your spoon and stuff away.

• Or bake the stuffing as a side dish in a casserole.

For the casserole- spoon the stuffing into a baking dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees F till heated through- about 20 to 25 minutes (note: it will take a bit longer to heat through if you made the stuffing ahead of time and chilled it).

Serve as a side dish for vegetarian fare.

How many will it feed? Depending upon the size of your squash- and appetites- 6 to 8. Recipe can be doubled.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/11/maple-roasted-acorn-squash-and.html#ixzz14jE5iSdQ