harvest quinoa crunch bowls with brown sugar spiced delicata squash and pesto tofu_______________________________________A delightful medley of autumnal aromas will waft about your house while the bowl components cook. Everything here is flexible: you can use any grain you'd like, sub out the delicata for acorn or butternut or even sweet potato, or customize the protein to make it omnivore friendly (I'd recommend chicken, turkey, or another white meat as they mesh best with the pesto in my opinion).
Ingredients
brown sugar spiced delicata squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium-sized delicata squash, seeds scooped and sliced into half moons
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- salt & pepper to taste
harvest crunch salad
- 4 cups mixed cruciferous greens (i.e. broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) * see note
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- pinch salt & pepper
pesto tofu
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 16 cubes
- 1/4 cup pesto, homemade or store bought
bowl assembly
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (from about 1 cup dried)
- 1/2 cup roasted squash and onion
- 1 cup harvest crunch salad
- 4 pieces pesto tofu
- 1 tbsp dressing
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- About 30 minutes before you intend to begin the main bulk of cooking, drain your tofu and press to remove excess moisture. I usually line a plate with 4 or 5 paper towels, place the tofu atop, another layer of towels, another plate, and then press with a cast iron skillet. You can also use a heavy block or a tofu press if you have one. Drain at least a half hour, though I like to do about an hour as time permits. Once drained, slice into 16 pieces and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don't know how to cut delicata squash, several tutorials exist on the Internet machine, but I will try to describe as best I can. First, slice off the top and bottom with a sharp knife, then stand the squash upright on your cutting board with the bigger end touching the board. Slide your knife down the center of the squash to create two halves. The centers will have lots of seeds and stringy bits. These you will remove by scraping a spoon along the length and pouring the innards into the trash (you can also save the seeds to roast if you wish!) Once gutted, turn the squash so the flat side faces down and slice into rings about 1/2 inch thick.
- Spread squash pieces on baking sheet. Slice your onion fajita-style and add to the pan. Drizzle with about 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, curry powder, salt and pepper over top. Toss with your hands or a large wooden spoon until each piece is well coated. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
- While squash bakes, cook your quinoa according to package directions and set aside, covered.
- Start your tofu. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium. Salt and pepper the tofu pieces and place into pan with about 1/4 inch space between each block. Cook on every side for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. I even stand the pieces upright on the smallest ends to ensure they too get some attention. Once tofu is nice and crispy, remove from heat, add the pesto, and toss thoroughly to coat.
- The salad is simple enough - just throw the walnuts and raisins into the greens and give a few flips with tongs to combine. To make the dressing, combine vinegar, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl, then slowly whisk the oil until emulsified.
- By now, the squash and onions are likely ready to take out of the oven and all is set to plate! I add about 1/2-2/3 cup quinoa, 1 cup salad, 1/4 of the squash and onions, and 4 pieces of tofu to each bowl and drizzle everything with the dressing. Add more salt and pepper if you'd like. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about four days.