Buttercup Squash Casserole

Back after a long delay (filled with interesting developments):

A really, really delicious fall dish! Will be making it again soon. I used dried porcini mushrooms because we'd had them forever and they needed to be used, but I'm sure most fresh mushrooms would be fine too if you don't feel like splurging. If you do that, you should use some other flavorful liquid to cook the vegetables -- a little wine, and some broth, or soy sauce, or something interesting.

Apologies for blurry photo.

Buttercup Squash Casserole

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

1 medium-sized buttercup squash, about 1.5 or 2 lb
1/2 large onion
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, well washed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine
1.5 cups grated Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper

Boil the 3/4 water, mix it with the wine, and soak the mushrooms in it for about 15-20 minutes.

Cook the quinoa using whatever method you prefer.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the squash into fairly small dice. Dice the onion. Saute the onion and squash in the olive oil, over medium heat, until the onion turns translucent. Add half the mushroom soaking liquid and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms. When the liquid has mostly been absorbed, add the remaining liquid and mushrooms; cook until the liquid is absorbed and turn off the flame. Add the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. Mix together the quinoa and squash mixture until well mixed. Beat the eggs. Add one cup of cheese to the quinoa/squash mixture; blend well. Take a couple of spoonfuls of the hot quinoa/squash mixture and mix with the beaten egg; then mix this with the rest of the quinoa/squash mixture. (This is to prevent getting bits of scrambled egg in the casserole.) Spoon into the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake about 35 minutes, until the cheese has just begun to brown.

Serves 4-6.

Quinoa Pilaf with Dates

Really on a quinoa kick here. This is subtly sweet, a little spicy, and a nice deep brown color. Some chopped pistachios would be a really great addition.

Quinoa Pilaf with Dates

2 cups red quinoa
4 cups water
2 small sweet yellow onions (or 1 large), sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
25 or so dates, chopped roughly
2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper
good pinch salt
three shakes hot pepper flakes
olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
6 tsp sesame seeds.

In a large pot, bring quinoa and water to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the germ separates from the quinoa, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute the onions in olive oil over medium-low heat until just starting to caramelize, about 12 minutes. (After about 10 minutes, add the crushed garlic.) While they are cooking, in a separate saucepan toast sesame seeds over low heat until they turn golden, about three minutes. Immediately remove from heat and put in a separate bowl. When the onions are soft and starting to color, add cardamom, black pepper, and hot pepper; cook over medium heat until the spices become very fragrant, about one or two minutes. Remove from heat.
When the quinoa is done, add the onions, sesame seeds, 3/4 of the dates, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well. Mound in a large bowl and garnish with the remaining dates. Serve at room temperature.

Serves one billion as a side dish.

Quinoa Salad

This salad has a wide variety of flavors that match well together--bitter mustard greens, sweet apricots and onions, mellow Brie. It's also pretty. I used 2 cups of mustard greens and that turned out to be a little too much for my taste, but it can easily be varied. Red quinoa is prettier but regular would be fine as well.

Quinoa Salad


1 cup red quinoa
1-2 cups chopped frozen (or fresh) mustard greens
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
10 dried apricots, quartered
about 2 oz. Brie cheese, in small cubes
2 tbsp olive oil plus more for sauteing
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 pinch dried basil
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, bring quinoa and two cups water to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer about 15 min, until all the water is absorbed and the spring-like germ has separated from the quinoa.
Meanwhile, saute the onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mustard greens (do not thaw if frozen; if not frozen, also add enough water to prevent them from burning). Saute over low heat about 10 more minutes, until the quinoa is nearly done. Combine greens/onions and quinoa in a large bowl. Season with basil, salt, and pepper. In a small cup, beat together the oil, vinegar, and mustard; pour over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Add the chopped apricots and Brie and toss. Chill and serve. Noticeably better the next day after the flavors have blended.

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish.