Balsamic Quinoa with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

Balsamic Quinoa with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

Today's quinoa creation came to life from all the amazing gluten-free and dairy-free blogs I've been reading. I've been bopping around from one gluten-free blogger to the next, gaining inspiration and ideas from the different recipes I've seen. So much talent and creativity in this bunch, it's astounding!

For me, going gluten-free was hard, but not unbearable. I didn't do much research, I just cut out wheat and went from there. It began with rice and corn. I knew both were gluten-free and so they became the center of my diet. Brown rice, wild rice, corn tortillas (and chips), and corn pasta. To say that I was bored by the second month is an understatement.

Little by little, I began to move out of my rice-corn box. I started reading. I started researching. My first discovery and still my go-to, favorite gluten-free blogger out there: the Gluten-Free Goddess. Her recipes are delicious, her tips are incredibly helpful and her stories are heart-warming. To be honest, it is because of her passion for living gluten-free that I decided to share my love for g-free cooking, and as such the Queen of Quinoa was born.

As I cooked my way through many of her recipes, I started breaking free and experimenting on my own. This, dear reader, is how quinoa came into my life. I'd read some recipes which all sounded delicious, so I decided to go for it. What's the worst that could happen, right? That I wouldn't like it? I was willing to take the risk. And so, I jumped.

Instead of landing on flat, hard ground, I landed gracefully in a soft, fluffy pillow. I was instantly in love with the amazing texture and flavor of quinoa. We've been together ever since. This is a relationship of mutual respect and understanding. One that will last a lifetime.

Balsamic Quinoa with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

This delicious recipe features fresh, organic vegetables, kissed with the sweetness of white balsamic vinegar. It's light, yet satisfying, with deeply rich autumn flavors.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup dry quinoa
• 1 smaill delicata squash
• 1/2 lb brussel sprouts
• 1/2 bunch of asparagus
• 1/8 cup toasted pepitas
• Olive oil
• White balsamic vinegar
• Salt + pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Prepare you squash. First you must cut it open. With a large chef's knife, cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon and set your emptied halves on a cutting board, flat side down. Slice the squash into half rings and place them in a medium bowl.

The season of squash. Delicata squash patiently waiting to be roasted.

Next up: brussel sprouts. Rinse them thoroughly in a colander and pat dry. Cut any extra stem of first, then quarter them. Begin at the bottom (the stem) and cut towards the top. Make sure you slice with the leaves to keep the integrity of the vegetable.

The first of the season. Locally grown, organic brussel sprouts. 

Add your brussel sprouts to the bowl with the squash and toss them in a bit of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the squash and brussel sprouts on a baking sheet and separate them. Squash on one side, brussel sprouts down the middle, leaving a space on the other side for the asparagus. Set the sheet aside as you prepare your asparagus.

Simply chop the bottoms off the stalks and add them to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roll them around to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the baking sheet in the middle of your warm oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes. Check after about 10 minutes and flip everything over. After 20 minutes, your brussel sprouts and aspargus will be done. Remove them from the baking sheet and shift the squash to the center. Let them roast for another 5 - 10 minutes until they are complete tender and slightly browned.

Once you remove the brussel sprouts and asparagus from the oven, start your quinoa. Set 1 1/3 cups of water on the stove to boil. Add your dry quinoa and turn down to simmer for 8 - 10 minutes. Don't forget about the squash as you're waiting for your quinoa to cook!

When the quinoa is fluffy and has absorbed all the water, transfer it to a large bowl. At this point your squash will have finished roasting and should be out of the oven. Chop your asparagus and delicata squash rings into bite size pieces and add them to bowl of quinoa along with the brussel sprouts and toasted pepitas.

Drizzle white balsamic vinegar over the bowl. White balsamic is much sweeter than regular balsamic vinegar so depending on what flavor you want, adjust the amount accordingly. I probably added around 3 tbsp and it is sweet.

Garnish with a bit more salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 3 moderate portions.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Brussel Sprouts with sweet Balsamic Vinegar.