Quinoa is without a doubt my favorite grain.   I always have a bowl of quinoa soaking/sprouting on my counter ready for the next recipe.  Here is a family favorite that I always make during the holidays and is very reach and creamy in flavor with no added butter, milk or cream.  The combination of the squash, coconut milk, quinoa & that dash of saffron creates a delicious experience

Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains.  It is gluten-free, high in protein, easily digested, is great for diabetics, high in fiber and of course rich in taste.  My favorite variety is the red quinoa – it is nuttier in flavor and keeps a bit of a crunch to it even after cooking. 

I definitely recommend soaking your quinoa in water for at least 6 hours before cooking.  Cooking time decreases by almost half and the vitamins, minerals and protein increases.  It would be very difficult to gain weight from soaked/sprouted quinoa!

 Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash
• 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups coconut milk       
• 1½ cups diced tomatoes, fresh or stewed
• ½ cup corn, fresh or frozen then thawed
• 2 cups fresh cilantro
• 3 cups raw soaked quinoa – try the red variety
• 1 Tbsp Veganaise (the grape seed oil variety)
• 2-3 tsp Celtic Sea Salt, or more to taste
• 1 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
• ½ tsp saffron
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1-2 tsp hot chili sauce
• Cayenne or chili pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Chop the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and lay open on a baking sheet.  Bake for about ½ hour or more until completely cooked. 
3. While the squash is baking, prepare the remaining ingredients. 
4. In a large soup pan, heat the coconut oil on medium heat, adding some of the salt and hot chili sauce.  Stir in the onion and red bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. 
5. Add the mushrooms and garlic into the pot and sauté another 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk.  Stir well. 
6. Stir in the tomatoes, quinoa and the remaining seasonings (salt, sweetener, saffron, chili pepper, veganaise, yeast, etc.). 
7. In a food processor or blender, puree the corn and cilantro into a paste and stir the mixture well into the soup pot. 
8. When the squash has finished baking and cooling, scoop out the squash and chop it into small cubes.  Stir it into the pot.  Be sure to scrape out the extra squash from the edges and add it to the stew.
9. Cover the pot, bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let the stew cook and blend its flavors together for at least 20 minutes before doing a taste-test to see if it needs more heat, sweet, spices or salt. 

Serves 6-8.

*Tastes great as a hot stew or as a dip for your pita bread.

Related posts:

1. The Gluten-Free Quinoa
2. Tasty Dairy-Free Potato Pancakes
3. Delicious, Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
4. Tomato Basil Coconut Bisque
5. Pumpkin Seed Pesto meets Miso Coconut!