Butternut squash, Quinoa and Asparagus

A butternut squash is always so tasty and makes such a large amount that I wanted to make a dish that would be easy to prepare ahead of time, cook up in the evening in one pot, and also used the majority of the squash. Another plus: it's also made from whole foods and is easy to bring together at the end of the day, which is what I always need. I'm not sure why, because dinner is at the same time every night, but yet dinner sneaks up stealthily to a mom of hungry children. This makes a lot, so I hope you like leftovers:) Oh, and you'll need a large skillet with a lid. 

*You could chop the squash and asparagus in the morning and just put in the fridge in a air tight container till ready to cook. 

*I omitted the nuts for some of the kids. You can stir them in, but I just chopped some for the week and will sprinkle them  to the top of each serving.

*Did I mention there will be leftovers? So I didn't put the full amount of spinach in. I figured I would add more to each serving before microwaving each leftover. 

*You could always add chicken tenders loins chopped into bite sized pieces at the beginning with the asparagus and garlic. 

*If you want to make a smaller amount, find a smaller squash and halve the rest of the ingredients. 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Recipe:

Olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 a bunch of asparagus, chopped

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped (makes about 4 or more cups after chopped)

2 cups of quinoa 

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 to 3/4 cups of Craisins 

Salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp)

3 cups spinach leaves

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Heat olive oil in a large skillet/pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and asparagus, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes (if you are adding chicken, this would be the time to do it). Add the squash, craisins, broth and quinoa. Add salt and stir. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20-25 minutes till the liquid is absorbed and squash is tender. Add spinach and gently stir into the mixture. Sprinkle walnuts to each serving or add in with spinach. 

NOM, NOM, NOM

She is trying to give a thumbs up!

modified version of a recipe by Bobby Dean on the cookingchanneltv.com