Day 8: Quinoa, Butternut Squash, and Kale Salad

Sorry for the late post! I had bedtime duty for Big Bubs and he was not in a mood to sleep and he doesn't fall asleep unless we stay in his room. Well, I must have been really tired because I too fell asleep while waiting for him to go to bed (I'm not sure who fell asleep first) and by the time I woke up it was late and I was just plain tired!

Anyway, here is what was on my menu for yesterday :)

Breakfast:
Breakfast sandwich, yummy! (homemade bread, egg, and cheese).
Tea with honey

Lunch:
Leftover Beef & Broccoli with rice
Clementine

Dinner:
Quinoa, Butternut Squash, and Kale Saled (see recipe below)

Snacks:
Dried Cherries
Almonds
Goldfish

Recipe:

Quinoa, Butternut Squash, and Kale Salad
I forgot to take a picture, but please take a look at the wonderful picture from Tartelette where I got the recipe. I made a few adjustments. It was really tasty and I would make it again. I think that I would add more Kale, a little more Butternut Squash, and reduce the Quinoa amount by 1/2 cup (it is a lot that you get!).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Quinoa (dry)
3 cups Chicken Broth (the original recipe called for water, but I like the flavor of Quinoa with chicken broth. Veggie broth can be substituted too).
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cored, and diced
1 1/2 cups kale, roughly chopped (previously washed and cleaned)
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Vinaigrette:
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Directions:
For the quinoa, I put it in my rice cooker along with the chicken broth and let the rice cooker do the work. If you do not have a rice cooker you want to bring the quinoa and broth to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat to simmer, after it has come to a boil, and cover until all of the water has been absorbed (about 20 minutes). Take the pot off of the heat and fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet, on medium to high heat, and cook the onions until they are translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Add the butternut squash, garlic, and kale to the skillet. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and check to see if the squash is tender, but not mushy or hard when you poke it with a fork or knife. Add the thyme and continue to cook until all of the liquid created by the cover has evaporated.

To make the vinaigrette add all of the ingredients together and stir.

Gently fold in the quinoa, the vegetables, and the vinaigrette. Serve.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 4
Calories: 344
Carbs: 57
Fat: 8
Protein: 11