Delicata Squash stuffed with Black Beans and Quinoa

So... I'm back. Ta Da!

I'm loaded with apologies and a backlog of recipes and photos that I have neglected to upload onto the blog over the past month or so. There might end up being an abundance of food popping up here in the next little while. I'm going to work backwards though, because the dinner that I made tonight is still fresh in my brain, and it was a pretty big hit with the roomies! 

Those of you who are living in the Yukon know this all too well, but we've been having a delightfully cold and snowy winter this year! Hurray! I'm particularly fond of the abundance of snow. My life this winter is going to be conducted almost entirely on skis, and I couldn't be happier! Anywho, I went for a beautifully nippy run this afternoon, and came back absolutely famished. I decided that I wanted to make something using my new favourite little secret ingredient - black truffle salt!! Man alive! It's so damn good. My Mum put a little bottle of it in my stocking this year, and I squealed like a pig in shit! Before you cook with it, though, my best suggestion is make some plain popcorn and sprinkle a little of the black truffle salt over it for a wicked snack. 

Anyway... food... here you go!

Delicata Squash stuffed with Black Beans and Quinoa

3 delicata squash

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 15oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed, and lightly mashed

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1 clove organic garlic, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely sliced

olive oil

5 pinches black truffle salt

1. Halve each squash and remove the guts. Set aside until ready to stuff.

2. Start cooking your quinoa. If you're like me, and you buy it bulk, it won't have directions on how long to cook it with how much water. It's super easy. The ratio for quinoa to water is 2:3, so in this case, use 3/4 cup of water.

3. Sauté the red onion in a little bit of olive oil until they are limp and transparent. They will also be delightfully tasty, so I usually double the amount of onion and chomp away at half of it while I'm cooking. I also listen to Rage Against The Machine and Somebody Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin while I cook! Or, at least I did today. 

4. Mash your beans in a medium mixing bowl, and add the red pepper, garlic and black truffle salt. Once the quinoa and sautéed onions are ready, add them to the bowl, and mix well. 

5. Stuff the delicata squash with the bean and quinoa mixture, and roast at 375 C for about 30-40 minutes.

The recipe is vegan and gluten-free. I was off quinoa for a little while... I just had too much of it. But I'm back on it again, and am pretty stoked about it. Quinoa is one of those kick ass grains that is loaded with protein, but without the pesky gluten. I've mentioned this before, but I'm part of the "allergic to everything" generation, so I know that there is a lot of people out there looking for recipes suitable for their dietary needs.

If you're wondering why I've listed 3 delicata squash, and not say, oh... any other number of delicata squash, it's because a) that is how many people are in my household and b) that is how many squash our little organic bakery delivered to me. This recipe is pretty easy to adapt to the number of people you'll be cooking for... so, I won't be offended if you change it up. Promise.

I know that I keep stressing the organic garlic, but trust me, it really does make a difference. With the one clove of organic (usually Canadian) garlic I use, the alternative would be a good 3-5 cloves of your typical, run-of-the-mill garlic (I like to think of them as wee garlic) that is usually shipped over from China. Think of all the benefits! Do it........ do it........

More to come shortly, but if this is as far as you're getting on the blog... have a great evening!