carnival squash ~ maple dijon quinoa

its virtual vegan potluck time!
i have no idea what i was thinking - october is one of the craziest months of the year for me at work....so that means my poor potluck post got pushed aside, then pushed aside again- we have all been there before, just when you think you have that extra second to breathe its gone quicker than it arrived. so that means today i am sharing with you one of my favorites from last year,
 a throw back of sorts!

so a big thank you to Annie, Somer and Jason for hosting such an amazing event!

it was bittersweet, last week was my last visit to picnic rock for the year - the harvest season has officially ended

however, to end the season on a good note i was able to procure a half bushel of beautiful winter squash

while ginny was loading me up with my last farm harvest of the year, i couldn't help but notice she was adding to the box what looked to be gourds - mmm hmmm i had no idea these beauties were edible

the mystery squash turned out to be a super star - the carnival squash outshines the acorn and even, dare i say, the butternut

absolutely wonderful - period.

carnival squash makse the perfect little stuffing squash - petite and round

carnival squash- you are my new *love*

the outside being just as beautiful as the inside

fresh cranberries add a pleasing tartness that pairs well with the maple syrup

walnuts add a bit of texture to the final dish

(mr walnut did not make it to the above photo shoot)

the quinoa is tossed with maple & dijon - a combination that works surprisingly well together

served on a bed of greens, carnival squash with maple dijon quinoa would make an amazing addition to your holiday table- your veg guests will not be disappointed

carnival squash ~ maple dijon quinoa

serves 2 ~ easily doubled

you will need:

• 1 medium carnival squash (if you can't find carnival, acorn would work too) - cut in half & seeded
• 1/3 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 leek cleaned well and trimmed - white and light green parts only, sliced into coins
• 1 tbsp fresh sage
• 1tsp fresh thyme
• 2/3 cups fresh cranberries
• 1tbsp water
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp pure NH maple syrup
• 2 tbsp walnuts

assembly:

• preheat oven to 425* - cut the squash in half length wise and remove seeds
• roast cut side down on a parchment lined pan for 45 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce through the thickest part of the squash
• while the squash is roasting prepare quinoa - in a small sauce pan add the water, bring to a boil. add salt and quinoa simmer covered for about 25 minutes or until the bran of the quinoa begins to pull away (it is obvious when you see it, looks like little rings)
• while quinoa is boiling - in a medium sauce pan over medium / high heat add olive oil & leeks - cook for about a minute
• once leeks have softened , add sage & thyme and cranberries - cook for about 5 minutes and add the maple syrup & dijon. cook an additional minute - when the pan starts to look like it needs to be deglazed, add the water and turn down the heat to medium/low. at this point the cranberries should begin to "pop" - add walnuts
• set the quinoa aside until the squash has finished roasting
• remove squash when done, allow to cool until you are able to safely handle. Stuff with quinoa and topp with additional walnuts if desired - to warm, place in a 350* oven for 10-20 minutes until warmed through

*toasting the walnuts before hand would be fabulous if you have the time

enjoy!

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