Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
- 1 (32-oz) box low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup nice white wine (you'll want to finish the bottle with dinner!)
- 2 cups butternut squash, cut into chunks
- 1 package fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of dried parsley
- Pinch of nutmeg
Preparation
Step 1
In a 2-qt saucepan, empty the entire container of chicken broth. Turn the heat to high, add the butternut squash, bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash is tender, about 15–20 minutes. Remove the squash from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 3-qt shallow pan, heat the butter and a nice splash of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chopped onion and cook until the garlic begins to brown and the onion is translucent. Add the quinoa and let it toast for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Once the quinoa begins to absorb the wine, ladle the chicken broth into the pan, adding two ladle-fulls at a time, stirring until absorbed. Continue to add the liquid until you've used it all.
Take a potato masher to that butternut squash to break up the chunks. Add the butternut squash to the quinoa. Also add the entire bag of spinach. Cook until the spinach is soft, but still bright green. Finally, season with salt, pepper, parsley, and a dash of nutmeg. Stir in that Parmesan and dish it up!
Don't forget to grab a couple wine glasses and that nice bottle of white! It makes for a nice romantic dinner, but our 10 month old daughter really seems to like it too. Look out boys! She'll have expensive taste! Enjoy! Go make this NOW! By the way, if you want to get tricky, feel free to garnish with some crispy bacon bits.