Black Bean and Butternut Quinoa

This dish is as colorful as it is delicious. The subtle sweetness of the squash is a perfect complement to the black beans and quinoa. Not only is it moist and flavorful, but quinoa provides all eight essential amino acids.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup fresh butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup diced onion
3/4 cup black beans, canned or cooked, rinsed
2 cups water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon palm sugar*
Dash cayenne
Dash black pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil

Toss the cubed and peeled squash in 1 tablespoon olive oil along with 1/2 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon palm sugar and dash each cayenne and black pepper. Pour into pan and cook in pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
In covered pot, heat quinoa with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until all liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Take off heat and let sit for five minutes. Fluff with a spoon.
Sautee onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until well caramelized.
Mix quinoa, beans, onions and squash. Add seasonings, parsley and lemon juice and last tablespoons of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt.

Serves 4

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Tips from the HeartMath kitchen

*Palm sugar is made from the sap of a sugar palm tree (also called date palm). Coconut sugar comes from the buds of coconut tree flowers. They are two different types of sugars, but sometimes you can find a combination of both. Both are natural sweeteners that come from trees and are collected as sap — like North American maple syrup. The sap is then boiled in enormous vats to create either a sugar paste (sold in jars or tins) or rock-like chunks of sugar also known as “jaggery.” (Jaggery can be made from cane sugar as well – it just means the solid, rock-like form of sugar.) I have both palm and coconut sugar in my kitchen. It came in bags and looks like brown sugar.

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Ms A.

5:50PM PST on Jan 24, 2012

OMG! I just made this and it is delicious. I used more beans (just dumped the whole can in since it was easier) I also used more squash (same reason). This will be one of my regular veggie meals!

send a green star

Sue H.

6:39PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Looks yummy to me!

Lauryn S.

3:18PM PST on Jan 11, 2012

What is "t.?" Teaspoon? (You wrote out "teaspoon" once but "tablespoon" in all instances?) Please use the regular abbreviations "tsp" and "Tbl" next time since this would be much clearer :) Thanks!

aj E.

11:51AM PST on Jan 10, 2012

adding to the list to try out:o)

Anne B.

8:58AM PST on Jan 10, 2012

Great sounding winter recipe! I'll try it this week!

Lynn C.

4:33PM PST on Jan 9, 2012

All my favorites. What's not to like about this recipe!

Lee S.

2:33PM PST on Jan 9, 2012

Mmmmmmmm 3 of my favorites! I just got some sprouted black beans and quinoa to try this with!!!