Quinoa Stuffing

By krystallondon

The ladies taking my cooking class all raved about this dish. I stuffed Cornish game hens with this stuffing, and then had enough left over to prepare a separate casserole. Once you make this, you'll want to make it again and again. You don't have to use it all as a stuffing; I often serve it as a side dish. It's beautiful to look at and tastes divine.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium-size red onion, minced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups water
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• Juice of 1 lime

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion, squash, pepper, garlic, apples, and mushrooms over medium heat until the onion is soft and the squash is browned. Add the sage, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the bay leaves and quinoa. After the water comes to a boil again, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Combine the sauteed vegetables and quinoa. Add the remaining oil. Add the dried cranberries, fresh parsley, lime juice, and pecans. Toss and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving:
427.94 calories, 8.84 g fat (16% calories from fat), 6.08 g protein, 83.81 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 72.27 mg sodium.