Leftovers for school lunches? Check. Healthy side dish? Of course! Nutrient-rich dinner? Absolutely. This Fall Quinoa is a simple idea for a weekday dinner that will be in the family’s top ten as soon as they try it. Serving it in an empty squash or mini-pumpkin elevates this dish for holidays.

Fall Quinoa

1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt & pepper to taste
1 cup quinoa
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (any variety)
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds)
A few splashes of tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
A sprinkle of cayenne
A sprinkling of sage on top

Directions

Cook quinoa. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic and chickpeas to a pan with either a tiny bit of oil or just a little water and a few splashes of tamari, and a sprinkling of cayenne. Cook until onions are translucent & all ingredients are starting to brown up a bit.

Add cooked quinoa to onion mixture in pan and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and put into a large bowl. Add raisins, basil and seeds.

Recipe: Alyssa Schottland-Bauman, Nourished.ca