These delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare Fall Harvest Quinoa bowls have been my go to dinner the last couple of weeks.
I am addicted!
First of all, they are packed with all of my favorite seasonal goodies. Butternut squash. Brussel Sprouts. Honey Crisp Apples. Pecans. Dried Cranberries. Goat Cheese. All of those delicious fall flavors combined in one perfect bowl.
Then there is the dressing. Creamy, luscious, orange tahini dressing. Yep, you can totally use tahini in things other than hummus. I absolutely love tahini, which is simply ground toasted sesame seeds with some sort of oil (think peanut butter but with sesame seeds instead of peanuts). Tahini has this unique bitter, nutty taste that adds so much flavor to any dish. I combined the tahini with free squeezed orange juice, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard to create this bright, fruity, bitter, and slightly sweet magical dressing.
AND they are quick and easy to make! What…perfect recipe for weeknight dinners! You can do all the prep work ahead of time and eat them all week. These have been a life saver for me the last couple of weeks. I have been busy and traveling for work, so when I get home at the end of the day, I am exhausted. I just cannot muster the energy to cook. But I still want something home cooked and delicious. That is why I started obsessively making these bowls. I do all the leg work on Sunday and reap the benefits all week long.
Oh, and one more thing (yep there is MORE). These bowl are super healthy. They are basically just fruit, veggies, and whole grains. A well-balanced, good for you week night meal.
Let’s get to cooking!
The first thing you need to do to make the bowl is prepare the quinoa. It might be sort of hard to pronounce (and spell, I have had to use the spell check about a million times so far), but quinoa is one of my favorite grains. I love it because it is high in fiber, has a light fluffy texture, and a sweet, nutty taste. It is hard not to love!
Plus, it is easy to prepare. You just add one part quinoa (thank you spellcheck…) and two parts liquid to a pot, bring the mixture to a boil, simmer until the liquid is absorbed, and gently fluff the quinoa (spellchecked again) with a fork. Done!
Next step: roasting the veggies. I try to cut my veggies in similar size pieces so they roast evenly. I usually avoid buying pre-cut veggies as they are typically more expensive and go bad quicker. Exception: butternut squah. Because of its odd shape and hard outer skin, it can be very difficult to cut. That is why I prefer to buy it precut (which also makes the recipe even quicker to prepare). Toss your cut veggies in a little olive oil (or oil of choice), salt, and pepper. I also added a little cinnamon and allspice to the butternut squash for some extra fall pizzazz. Then roast at 400 till beautifully caramelized. Do not worry if the brussels start to char a little; it just makes them crispier and more delicious!
While the veggies are cooking, you can make the dressing. You just combine the tahini, juice and zest of an orange, Dijon, and maple. If your tahini is stored in the fridge, I recommend letting the tahini come to room temperature before making the dressing as it will be more pliable and easier to use. I also thinned out my dressing with a little water. You should add a tablespoon of water at a time till you reach your desired consistency.
Final step: Assembly. Add a little quinoa to the bottom of the bowl. Then add a heaping scoop of veggies. Drizzle with dressing. Top with pecans and dried cranberries.
ohh…..and don’t forget to add some crumbles of creamy delicious goat cheese. It is a must to complete these bowls!
Now dig in and ENJOY!!!
I store the separate components; roasted veggies, goat cheese, quinoa, pecans, and dressing; in separate storage containers. When I get home from a long work day, I just add all the components in a bowl and top with that delicious dressing. Dinner is ready in seconds. I am one happy girl – I get to enjoy a delicious dinner, plus I can spend the rest of my night relaxing with my hubby.
Fall Harvest Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 butternut squash, cubed
- 1-pound brussel sprouts, stem removed and halved
- 1 small red onion, cut in large chunks the same size as the butternut squah
- 1 T olive oil (or oil of choice)
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. allspice
- 1 honey crisp apple, cut into chunks
- ½ cup goat cheese, which will be divided among each bowl
- ½ cup chopped pecans, which will be divided among each bowl
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Dressing
- Juice and zest of one orange
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 T maple syrup
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup water
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare the quinoa by combining quinoa and vegetable broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- On a sheet pan, toss the brussel sprouts, butternut squash, and red onion with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle cinnamon and allspice on the butternut squash only and toss so each piece is coated with the spice. Roasted in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are browned and caramelized.
- For the dressing, whisk together the orange juice, zest, maple syrup, and Dijon until well-combined. Add water, 1 T at a time, until reaches your desired consistency.
- Time to assemble the bowls. Add about ¼ cup quinoa to a bowl. Add in as many veggies as you prefer. Top with goat cheese, apple chunks, and pecans. Drizzle with about 2 Ts of the dressing (more or less, depending on your preference) and mix so all of the ingredients are combined and coated in dressing.
- Serve and enjoy!
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