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Fall Quinoa Salad

This warm quinoa salad is perfect for fall. Roasted butternut squash gives this dish a great texture and flavor, along with savory spices and cinnamon. It’s great as a side for dinner, or as a cozy vegan dinner when served by itself.

This recipe calls for cinnamon, which may seem odd for a savory dish. It lends the quinoa mixture a subtle warm spice that pairs wonderfully with the butternut squash. You may omit the cinnamon if you’re skeptical, but it makes this dish really shine!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups spinach
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon
2 T oil
2 Tsp cumin
2 Tsp paprika
2 Tsp salt (or to taste)
1 Tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 and prepare a baking sheet line with parchment paper.

Mince your garlic cloves and set them aside.

Peel and cut your butternut squash into cubes. Toss them in your oil and place them onto the lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each piece. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add your minced garlic to the baking sheet with the butternut squash. Roast the squash and garlic for 10 more minutes.

While your squash is roasting, bring 2 cups of water to boil in a medium sized pot. Add your quinoa and simmer it on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat when done.

Chop your spinach into medium-sized pieces and add them to a small saucepan to wilt the spinach, about 2 to 3 minutes.

When your butternut squash has finished roasting, add the butternut squash and spinach to the pot with the quinoa. Stir to combine.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the pot. Add your spices, salt and garlic to the pot. Stir the quinoa salad to combine all the ingredients. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups

These little treats will make the perfect dinner on a cold winter night or add a spark to your next holiday party. Not only are they tasty and satisfying, but they are filled to the brim with nutritious ingredients. Try these today!

Ingredients

  • 1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
  • ½ cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • ¼ tsp minced garlic
  • 16 oz mild Italian sausage (uncased)
  • 6 basil leaves chopped
  • ¼ tsp poultry seasoning
  • ¼ tsp thyme
  • ¼ tsp rosemary
  • 32 oz whole milk ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Season a large pot of water with salt. Set on high to boil and cook the noodles to al dente. (Tips: Add olive oil to the water so the noodles don’t stick together. After cooking, rinse with cold water and drizzle with olive oil to further prevent sticking.)
  3. Coat a large pan with olive oil and add the onion. Cook on medium to high heat for five minutes until just translucent.
  4. Add the butternut squash, minced garlic, poultry seasoning, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper, and cook for ten minutes.
  5. Add the sausage and basil and fully cook. Approximately 8-10 minutes.
  6. In a large bowl add the ricotta, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Set aside
  7. Coat a 9 x 13 pan or larger with olive oil.
  8. Form the roll-ups. Spread an even amount of the ricotta mixture onto a noodle. Add an even layer of the butternut squash mixture on ¾ of the noodle. Starting at one end, begin loosely rolling the noodle until it is fully rolled. Place the rolled noodle in the oiled pan and repeat.
  9. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the top of the noodles.
  10. Sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the noodles.
  11. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Enjoy!

 

Guest Blogger: James Madison Dietetics
Emily Salvaggio

Autumn Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps pack loads of fall flavor into one small package. The savory sausage, sweet butternut squash, and fragrant thyme and sage make for a wonderful autumnal flavored meal. This dish is sure to make you, your family, and your belly, very happy.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 head lettuce (green, bib, or butter work best)
  • 1 lb sausage (I used loose sage sausage, but any will work)
  • 1 small butternut squash (diced)
  • 1/3 yellow onion (diced)
  • 1 granny smith apple (cut into thin matchsticks)
  • 1/8 tsp minced garlic
  • 25 oz diced canned tomatoes (I used fire roasted with garlic, but your favorite will work perfectly)
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 leaves of sage
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 oz cotija cheese grated
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Wash the lettuce leaves and lay them out to dry during the cooking process.
  2. Coat a large skillet with olive oil and sauté the onions on medium to high heat until just beginning to soften. About 2-3 minutes.
  3. To the skillet add the diced butternut squash and the minced garlic. Cook stirring often for 7 minutes or until butternut squash softens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the sausage to the skillet with the onions, squash, and garlic. Using a fork or spatula, break up the sausage to form small pieces. Cook for five minutes.
  5. While the meat mixture cooks, remove the leaves of the thyme from the stem and cut the sage leaves into ribbons.
  6. After five minutes, add the canned tomatoes and the herbs. Cook for five minutes on medium heat.
  7. Remove mixture from the heat. Assemble the wraps by placing a spoonful of the mixture into the lettuce cup, top with apple slices and cotija cheese. Enjoy!!!

 

Guest Blogger: James Madison Dietetics
Emily Salvaggio

 

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Pizza with Roasted Fall Vegetables

September means fall is approaching. And fall approaching means enjoying the delectable vegetables that come into season during this time of year. Lovely in-season butternut squash is the star of this tantalizing pizza atop a ricotta and goat cheese melty masterpiece.

 

Ingredients

  • Phyllo Dough or Pre-made Pizza Dough, thawed (I used phyllo dough however its flakiness, while tasty, can be difficult to work with)
  • 1 small butternut squash (sliced thinly)
  • 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ white onion (sliced in thin rounds)
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • 1 1/4 c. ricotta
  • 1 ½ T. chives
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • ¾ tsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. dried garlic
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Place the sliced butternut squash and tomatoes on a small sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast vegetables until just soft and golden. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
  4. Place the onions in a small pan lightly coated with olive oil.
  5. Cook the onions on a low temperature until caramelized. They should be a rich caramel color when done.
  6. While the vegetables cook, add the goat cheese and ricotta to a bowl and stir until evenly combined.
  7. To the cheese mixture add the minced and powdered garlic, thyme, onion powder, parsley, chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
  8. Place the puff pastry or pizza dough onto a greased cookie sheet. (I used a 12″x17″ cookie sheet). Curl the dough around each edge to form a small crust.
  9. Spread the cheese mixture evenly onto the dough.
  10. Add the vegetables evenly on top of the cheese mixture.
  11. Bake the pizza for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melty.
  12. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

 

Guest Blogger: James Madison Dietetics
Emily Salvaggio

 

Butternut Squash and Parsnip Crostata

Winter is the time to take advantage of the beautiful root vegetables and squashes that are in season. This recipe is a perfect lunch, dinner, or a crowd pleasing party appetizer. Don’t let the dreary winter days get you down. Cozy up to a slice of this treat and it’s sure to brighten up your day!

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pre-made pie crust
  • ½ small butternut squash
  • 1 parsnip
  • ½ small red onion
  • ¾ cup shredded gouda cheese
  • ⅛ tsp thyme
  • ¼ tsp rosemary
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 ℉
  2. Remove the peel of the butternut squash and chop one half into 1-inch pieces roughly ¾ inch thick (Note: do not discard seeds, they will be roasted and used as garnish later. Keep and wash.)
  3. Peel the parsnip and cut similarly to the butternut squash
  4. Slice the onion as thin as possible
  5. Place the butternut squash, parsnip, and onion on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  6. Roast the vegetables until soft and caramelized around 25 minutes
  7. Remove the vegetables and allow to cool slightly
  8. Place the pie crust on a sheet and sprinkle on cheese leaving an inch of crust to layer over the top later
  9. Arrange the vegetables over the cheese and sprinkle the thyme and rosemary over the top (keep the drippings on the pan used to roast the vegetables as it will be used later)
  10. Fold the inch border over the vegetables and bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes (for an extra golden crust, brush it with a tablespoon of melted butter)
  11. During the last 3 minutes of baking, place the reserved squash seeds on the pan that the vegetables were roasted on and coat the seeds in the drippings. Season with salt and roast in the oven until brown (between 2-3 minutes).
  12. After the crostata is done cooking remove it from the oven sprinkle the roasted seeds over the top and enjoy !

 

Guest Bloggers: James Madison Dietetics
Alexandra Balbontin, Taylor Coleman, Julia Danisewicz, Emily Salvaggio, and Taylor Singleton