One of my favorite vegetables this time of year is butternut squash. While it can be a little bit of a pain, I’ve found that a little microwave time can do wonders for making it easier to work with! It’s really simple to do.
Take that butternut squash. Stab it a few times with a fork – you are just puncturing the outer shell, it doesn’t have to be really deep. Cut off the top and bottom, and lay the squash down on a plate.
Microwave for about three and a half minutes then let cool. Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of a squash you won’t spend an hour trying to peel!
This is a great recipe for taking in your lunches. It has a ton of great fall flavor, so while it may not feel like fall here, at least I can pretend it is while I eat my lunch!
Ingredients
- 1 C quinoa
- 1 tsp fajita seasoning
- 1 medium butternut squash, chopped
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 2 small or one large bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp fajita seasoning
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can rotel, drained
- 1 small can enchilada sauce
- 1-2 cups baby spinach leaves
- Toppers: Mexican cheese, salsa, sour cream, quacamole
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water or broth and 1 tsp fajita seasoning.
- Sauté onion and butternut squash in 1 T olive oil over medium heat until softened – if you need to, add a little water and put the lid on to steam the squash. (It depends on how soft you like your squash).
- Add the cumin and fajita seasoning, sautéing and additional minute.
- Add the black beans, rotel, and enchilada sauce to the pan – cook for 5 more minutes until heated through.
- Remove from heat, stir in the spinach and peppers.
- Dish up quinoa, top with the butternut squash mixture. Add salsa, cheese, or any other topping you desire!
Looks tasty! I love the addition of the quinoa!
This sounds super good, and super tasty!! I’m going to have to try this out! Thank you for sharing!