Quinoa with Moroccan winter squash and carrot stew

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I don't know about you but I was ready to pull my hair out by the time Thanksgiving rolled around. So, needless to say, there were a handful of days where our dinners were either leftovers or burgers. I just did not want to cook anymore. However, after a three day break from cooking I decided to refresh reboot my love of cooking with this recipe. I had actually purchased everything to make it before the holidays but considering I had a three day cooking and baking extravaganza, I didn't get around to making it until now. I really wish I had the energy to make it before because it's delicious and oh so perfect for these colder nights we've been getting here.

The only "hard" part about this recipe is all the peeling and chopping you have to do. However, if you are lucky enough to have an awesome husband like me, then they will see how stressed you are, hand you a glass of wine, and will peel and chop those veggies for you. Once all the tedious stuff is out of the way, the recipe is super simple. Just like with any stew, you throw it all in a pot and let it cook. Granted, I let mine cook a lot longer than it should have (if you couldn't tell by the look of mushy squash). I thought I had turned off the burner when it was all done. Apparently I did not. So, for the 30 minutes to an hour that the Mister and I watched television and unwound from the day, the stew was still cooking away. Whooops! I'm not complaining though. The consistency of the squash reminded me of when I'd make beef stew and the chunks of meat would just fall apart and melt in your mouth. So, while the dinner didn't look as pretty as it should have, it tasted phenomenal.

adapted from Bon Appétit



Stew

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 cup water
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 1 1/2 pound squash)
• 2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled carrots

Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2tsp  salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 2 tsp chopped fresh mint, divided

Stew

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients (all of the spices). Add 1 cup water, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Quinoa

1. Rinse quinoa; drain. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Plating

1. Stir in half of cilantro and half of mint into the stew. Spoon quinoa onto platter, forming a well in the center. Spoon stew into the well. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs.