C is for…Cheesy Basil & Butternut Quinoa!
February 3, 2013 -
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Hi all! Welcome to “C” Day of the #plantPOWER Challenge!
Yesterday’s Brads Raw Food Giveaway went great –
remember that we will announce all winners on Feb. 27th!
Check out theses ‘B’ Highlights from yesterday!
- Top Left: Black Bean & Butternut Squash Burger
- Butternut Squash Chips via FitPossible Alexis
- Bottom Left: Roasted Brussels & Root Veggies
- Bottom Right: Brussel Sprouts & Broccoli
I am visiting the boy this weekend & it hasn’t stopped snowing since I arrived. We originally were going to go out for dinner but the roads weren’t looking too promising. We decided to venture to WalMart which is approximately 3 minutes down the road – safe bet. I picked out some ingredients with intentions of “throwing something together” once we got to his apartment. SUCCESS!
In honor of “C” Day I would like to introduce to you…Cooking For Corey – Powercakes style.
I ended up “throwing together” Cheesy Basil & Butternut Squash Quinoa over sauteed garlic spinach.
With a side of red wine…because the wine store just so happens to be across the street from WalMart, I swear.
Obviously “cheese” is not plant based but I found a way to get that “cheesy” flavor & consistency with some of my favorite ingredients!
Step One: Chop Asparagus & spray with oil – place into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Step Two: Chop & remove seeds from your butternut squash. Place onto a cookie sheet & spray. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until tender.
While these are baking, you can make the main course.
Sautéed Spinach
Ingredients:
- 1 large bag of spinach
- 1 small/medium red onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 TB coconut oil (or oil of choice)
Directions:
- Spray or put oil onto a medium-low heat pan on the stove.
- Add garlic & chopped onion to the pan & caramelize for a few minutes.
- Add in spinach & cook down for a few minutes until wilted.
Cheesy Basil Quinoa
“Cheesy” due to the nutritional yeast & mustard making it extra creamy!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of cooked quinoa (cook to directions on the box)
- 2 Cups of Cooked Butternut Squash
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
- 3 TB Nutritional Yeast
- 1 TB Brown Spicy Mustard
- 4 Leaves of Fresh Basil (or 1/2 – 1 TB Dried)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- Fresh cracked pepper
Directions:
- Cook quinoa according to your box directions.
- The box makes more than 3 cups but I just saved the rest of the “plain” quinoa for meals this week!
- Once cooked, combine quinoa with 2 cups of your cooked butternut squash.
- Again, I made more than 2 cups but saved the rest for more meals this week!
- Add in your olives, nutritional yeast, mustard, fresh chopped basil, & pepper.
- Stir until combined
To plate – spoon out half of the spinach mixture and top with a spoonful of the quinoa mix.
Topped with roasted asparagus & red wine is a must optional!
This meal was loaded with plant based proteins, veggies, clean carbs, & healthy fats!
Another C Favorite? – my healthy CHOCOLATE sauce is always a winner in my book!
What is your favorite plant based C?
Do you ever just “throw things together” successfully?