Winter Pumpkin with Cranberry Apple Quinoa

Serves 4

This recipe combines favourite winter vegetables with one of
our favourite gluten-free grains. Use both white and red quinoa
for a colourful meal.

½ cup white quinoa, rinsed
½ cup red quinoa, rinsed
1 cup orange juice
2 cups apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Pumpkin or squash of choice
(grey pumpkin, supermarket squash)
5 tablespoons butter or oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried apples or one fresh apple, diced
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
½ cup sliced almonds or pecans, toasted
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Toast quinoa in a dry, heavy-bottomed pot for about 3 minutes.
Add orange juice, apple juice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt
and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Cut pumpkin into medium
sized chunks. Bake 20 minutes or until tender. While pumpkin
bakes, sauté onion, carrot, and celery in butter over medium
heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables to the simmering
quinoa, along with the dried cranberries, apples and
maple syrup.

Simmer the aromatic mixture for 10 more minutes, at which
point the quinoa should be fully cooked and hold together like
sticky rice. Remove from heat and stir in sliced almonds and
parsley.

In a large bowl, turn the baked pumpkin into the quinoa and
vegetable mixture. Serve as a meal with a small green salad
or warm piece of wholemeal bread.