Kabocha Squash and Indian Spiced Quinoa

I've made this dish twice. The first time I stuffed kabocha squash halves with the quinoa mixture, the second time I served the quinoa over pureed kabocha squash. The second time I also used some lingering red quinoa we had from a Christmas gift last year and was so excited about it I forgot to add the prunes and balsamic vinegar. You can eat the skin of the kabocha squash, but you don't have to.

Kabocha Squash and Indian Spiced Quinoa (adapted from FitFeat)

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 kabocha squash
• 1.5 tbs coconut oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 yellow or red peppers, chopped
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 cups broth
• 6 prunes, diced
• 7-10 fresh basil leaves chopped, or 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. If you want to serve the dish as stuffed squash, cut squash in half or in quarters. Scoop out seeds, spray olive oil on a baking sheet and place squash flesh side down on sheet. Bake 30-35 minutes until tender.
3. If you want to serve the quinoa over pureed squash, cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place in baking dish and add 1 inch of water. Bake about 40 minutes until very tender. Set out to cool and then scrape flesh from skin - the flesh should be moist and have a pureed texture. If not, mash with a fork. 
4. In a large pot melt coconut oil and add shallots, red or yellow peppers, garlic, ginger, garam masala, salt, pepper and dried basil (if using). Cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are soft.
5. Add quinoa and stir to mix well. Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
6. When all the liquid is absorbed, mix in prunes and fresh basil (if using).
7. Arrange quinoa as desired with squash and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. 

Eggplant Pizza

These don't win any awards for being pretty but they are very tasty. We had some small white eggplants from a friend's community garden and this was a great way to use up a bunch before they went bad.

Eggplant Pizza

• eggplant - any number, any size
• tomato sauce
• cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil.
2. Slice an eggplant into 1/4" thick rounds. 
3. Lay out eggplant slices on baking sheet and spray with olive oil again. (You might need to use multiple baking sheets depending on the size of your eggplant, or just do this in stages.)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through (but not mushy or falling apart).
5. Add tomato sauce and cheese and bake again just until cheese is melted.

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

This is my new favorite butternut squash recipe. It's so simple and yet so tasty. We happened to have a pound of bacon in the freezer to cook up and add as a garnish, but this soup stands strong on its own. 

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup (adapted from Meaningful Eats)

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 leeks chopped (white and light green parts)
• 3 tbs butter or olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 5 c broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash pepper
• Optional: bacon

1. Half the squash length-wise, scoop out seeds and place flesh side down in baking dish. Add 1 inch of water to dish and bake at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes, until squash is tender.
2. Set aside to cool, then scoop out flesh.
3. In large pot heat up butter and add leeks. Cook about 5 minutes, then add squash, broth, salt and thyme and bring to boil.
4. Reduce to simmer and let cook another 10 minutes.
5. Puree with your desired method. (My immersion blender died months ago so I used a regular blender and made a mess. Like always.)