Coconut Cilantro Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad

Howdy Friends!

Happy Hump day friends! How are you going to make today ridiculously amazing? The yummy leftovers I had for lunch helped make my day ridiculously amazing. Last night, I made a new dish that turned out 1000x's better than I was even hoping for. I kind of just winged it, and it ended up being amazing. E really wanted red beans and rice for dinner, but the brand he likes is not gluten-free so it was to the drawing board for me. When I was grocery shopping on Sunday, I came across fresh pre-chopped butternut squash. It just jumped right into my basket and the fun began.

First I tossed the butternut squash with a light coatign of melted coconut oil and baked it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

I try to use coconut oil in my cooking whenever I can because of all the amazing health benefits. Check out this awesome infographic by www.naturalhealtyconcepts.com. (If it looks blurry, click to enlarge.)

Next, all I had to do was cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. Once the squash cooled slightly, I mixed all of the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. I served the squash and bean mixture on top of a bed of quinoa. The combination of coconut, cilantro, and cayenne made for a unique and delicious flavor! I served it with a side salad, and voila dinner was served!

Coconut Cilantro Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad

by Lauren George

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Keywords: bake side entree gluten-free

Ingredients (6 servings)

3.5 cups butternut squash
1.5 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 cup of quinoa
2 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (be careful this stuff is hot)
1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut squash into small cubes and pour into a sealable container.

Melt coconut oil and pour over squash. Toss to thoroughly coat squash.

Pour squash into baking pan and lightly dust with salt and pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.

While the squash is baking, prepare quinoa according to the directions on the package.

Pour squash into a large bowl mixing bowl.

Add black beans, cilantro, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir thoroughly.

Plate one serving of quinoa and top with squash and bean mixture.

If you are a fan of butternut squash and cilantro, you must try this recipe. It is the best creation I have come up with in quite a while! I actually just finished eating the leftovers for lunch, and it was almost even better the next day.

Let me know if you give it a try!

What is your favorite recent creation?

In health,