It's recipe challenge time with Melissa's Produce! Every once in a while a group of San Diego Food Bloggers receive a package of produce to come up with a tasty recipe with at least 3 of the ingredients from the box. For the last challenge I made a bacon & brussels quinoa with a leeks & beet crostini. This time we received butternut squash, dried cranberries, pine nuts, shallots, baby dutch potatoes, pearl onions, fava beans, blackeyed peas and garbanzo beans. I used the first 4 ingredients to make a butternut squash quinoa with shallot dressing and it turned out really tasty. I have been making shallot dressing a lot lately and it pairs perfectly with these ingredients.

I thought about making a spinach salad with these same ingredients but I was really looking for something hearty that could also be served at Thanksgiving. Quinoa seemed like a good fit for these items.

This dish is fairly easy to make. The "hardest" part is cutting the butternut squash. I first peeled the squash, sliced it in half and took out all the seeds and membranes. Then I sliced the squash into one inch cubes. My hubby suggested that next time I slice into ½ inch cubes. Either way works fine so slice to your desired thickness. After the squash is cut, place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then wash your quinoa thoroughly! While the squash is cooking put the quinoa on the stove to cook according to package directions.

I then toasted the pine nuts in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes on 35o degrees. Keep a close eye on the pine nuts as they can burn easily.

I then mixed up the shallot dressing. Chop the shallot into small pieces and add to a bowl. Add the remaining vinaigrette ingredients: 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, ⅓ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Once the squash and quinoa is cooked you can mix together gently. Stir in half of the toasted pine nuts, cranberries and shallot vinaigrette into the squash quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts and cranberries on top of the dish.

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Butternut Squash Quinoa with Shallot Vinaigrette

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Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 cups of quinoa
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup of pine nuts
• Vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons of Lemon juice
• 1 Shallot
• 1 tablespoon of Rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Peel the squash, sliced it in half and take out all the seeds and membranes
3. Slice the squash into one inch cubes
4. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper
5. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes
6. Cook the quinoa on the stove according to package directions
7. Toast the pine nuts in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes on 350 degrees
8. Mix shallot dressing:
9. Chop the shallot into small pieces and add to a bowl.
10. Add the remaining vinaigrette ingredients: 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, ⅓ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
11. Once the squash and quinoa is cooked you can mix together gently.
12. Stir in half of the toasted pine nuts, cranberries and shallot vinaigrette into the squash quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts and cranberries on top of the dish.

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I received produce from Melissa's Produce. All opinions are my own.