Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Ground Turkey

I have always wanted to cook with butternut squash but I never knew how to cook it or what to cook with it, so I came up with a recipe and it tasted like all the components of Thanksgiving in one! I will not lie, cutting this gigantic butternut squash into small cubes took me about 20 minutes and man was it a workout (I probably need to hit the weights more), but it was worth it in the end! On another note, QUINOA, this is a funny little grain, it is gluten free (read more here: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/quinoa-nutrition-facts), and it is a good source of protein and fiber! This is a wonderful, healthy recipe that will definitely give you all the great flavors of Thanksgiving! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of dry quinoa, rinsed
• 1 large butternut squash, cut into cubes for roasting
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 pound of lean ground turkey
• 2 slices of low sodium turkey bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 2 Tablespoons of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil (for roasting)
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil (to saute)
• 2 tsp. of dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 1 Tablespoon of ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the cubed butternut squash on a large cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped rosemary. Use your hands to incorporate all of the ingredients together. Roast in the oven for about 30-35 minutes (you may need to flip them with a spatula half way through if they are getting crispy on the bottom).

2. Placed rinsed quinoa in a medium pot and cook according to the directions on the back of the bag (usually 1:2 quinoa to water). When it is finished cooking, remove from heat and set aside.

3. Add chopped bacon to a non-stick skillet and cook until it is crispy. Remove bacon from the skillet when it is finished cooking (leave the grease in the pan) and place in a small bowl to the side. Add the diced onion and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute until the onions are lightly browned. Remove the onions from the pan and put them in the small bowl with the bacon to the side.

4. Add the ground turkey to the same skillet you cooked your bacon and onion in and cook on medium-high heat until the turkey is no longer pink (about 8-10 minutes). When the turkey is finished cooking, add the bacon and onion back into the skillet and stir to combine all of the ingredients.

5. In a large bowl, add the roasted butternut squash, cooked quinoa, ground turkey mixture, and toasted walnuts and sitr until the mixture is well incorporated. Season with dried rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir in 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese.

6. Use the remainder 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of each dish. Enjoy!!