Butternut Squash, Quinoa & Kale Bake
I have embraced it: summer is over. I love this time of year. Windows open, crisp mornings, leaves unraveling their colors, pumpkin patches, wrapped up in a blanket couch cuddling. But, I wasn’t ready for it this year. Life has been busy…good busy…but BUSY. The summer raced by and I found myself on the other end of it, greeting autumn with full on denial slight hesitation. I’ve tried a half dozen PSLs (I know, but admit it– you long for them each year too…). I tossed a scarf around my neck. Nothing. I just wasn’t feeling it. But, if there is one thing I look forward to this time of year… it is certainly an autumn menu. I knew transition would find me there. Soups, chilis, roasted roots, squashes and pumpkins, apple pies and homemade breads, a house full of fresh-baked scents, spices and cinnamon. This is the time of year when menus get cozy. This is when comfort food is less a guilty pleasure and more just something you sink into with complete abandon. Because.You.Can…
I am adoring Dana Shultz’, aka the Minimalist Baker’s, Everyday Cooking. What’s not to adore about simple, healthy, creative cooking?… She brings butternut squash, kale and quinoa together in a gorgeous combination. But, there’s an earthy richness with the onions, mushrooms and walnuts that really weave all the ingredients together. Bright pops of color and a texture you can sink your teeth into. This dish did it for me. It’s fall and I’m embracing it.
If you’re looking to serve up a side of autumn, this recipe is for you.
- 3 cups butternut squash, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil, divided
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces crimini, button or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3 cups loosely packed kale, chopped
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (or vegan parm), divided
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Lightly grease an 8×8-inch (or comparable size) baking dish and preheat oven to 400°.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add cubed butternut squash and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While the squash is baking, rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer. Add to small saucepan with vegetable broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is fully absorbed and quinoa is fork-tender (15-20 minutes). Once quinoa is finished cooking, season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and half of the vegan Parmesan cheese. Stir, sample and adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat and leave covered.
- Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion and garlic. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent (about 4 - 5 minutes) stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and walnuts and season once more with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned.
- Make room in the pan and add kale. Season once more with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Cook until kale is just tender (about 3 - 5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 and add cooked quinoa to prepared baking dish. Top with vegetable-walnut mixture and roasted butternut squash. Lightly stir to combine. Top with remaining vegan Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes to warm through. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep covered for up to 3 days.
Farmer’s Market: Baltimore, Maryland
It’s my favorite time of year: farmer’s market season. It’s a thing. Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, Farmer’s Market.
The Baltimore’s Farmer’s Market is certainly worth a visit. It’s filled to the brim with seasonal fruits, vegetables, poultry, seafood, beef, pork, lamb, bison, goat, rabbit, fresh baked goods, flavorful herbs, organically produced milk, yogurt, butter, eggs, cheeses, flowers and vegetable seedlings for your garden. It’s literally a cornucopia as far as farmer’s markets go. To top this, there are numerous food vendors dotted throughout the market. Pit beef sandwiches, omelets, breakfast burritos, crepes, wood-fired pizzas, pies, quiches, soups, noodles, dumplings and mushrooms (more on this later). Vegan items are sold as well, which may not have been obvious yet… Crafts, candles, organic dog treats, art, retro clothing, kombucha and kimchi.
It’s the largest producers-only market in Maryland. The market is sprawling and, interestingly, located underneath the highway overpass. Great for a rainy day, shielding from the summer sun, and adding an edgy, if not gritty, Baltimore feel to the market.
Eat, shop, be merry. What are you waiting for?…
The market is held on Sundays from 7:00 am – 12:00 pm between April – December. Many Sundays also feature live music performances and cooking demonstrations. The market is located below the Jones Falls Expressway at Holliday & Saratoga streets.
Parking is surprisingly convenient and free (for 2 hours) at the Mercy Medical Center across the street in the Mary Catherine Bunting Garage at 330 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202. Ensure you bring your ticket to the Market’s Welcome Tent to get a validation stamp. Without the stamp you will find yourself sweet-talking the garage attendant out of a $10 parking fee. Yeah, I still got it…
Art at the Farmer’s Market … it’s a permanent collection
Amazing food at The Mushroom Stand
What’s to eat at The Mushroom Stand? Your favorite fungi, baby!
More specifically,…..
Oyster Mush Fritters. Blue Oyster mushrooms dipped in beer batter and fried in peanut oil, topped with hot sauce and a healthy dose of feta cheese, served on a bed of lettuce.
Portabella Salad. Marinated and smoked portabella served over mixed greens and topped with feta and hot sauce.
The Portabella Sandwich. Marinated and smoked portabella with mixed greens in a toasted pita and topped with feta cheese and hot sauce.
Three choices; one hard decision. I opted for the Oyster Fritters. F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.
Bread at the Farmer’s Market … plenty of carb-lovin’ options
Veggies at the Farmer’s Market
