1 cup tricolor quinoa
2 cups broth (preferably homemade bone broth)
About 1-1 & 1/2 cups cubed, butternut squash
1 tablespoon avocado oil
About 1/2 cup pecans
About 1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup cranberry juice
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (plus a little more to sprinkle the squash with)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)
1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ (F) (you may need to turn it up to 450˚).
2. Place the cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet. Pour the avocado oil over the squash and sprinkle some salt and cinnamon over the squash.
3. Roast the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it’s nice and squishy.
4. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa with the broth and salt, to taste, according to the directions on the package.
5. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil the the cranberry juice in the saucepan, reducing it down to about half.
6. Once the cranberry juice is reduced and a little more syrupy, remove it from the heat, and whisk in the lemon juice, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Then, slowly whisk in the olive oil.
7. Once the quinoa is done cooking, add salt to taste, and put it in a large mixing bowl.
8. Remove the squash from the oven and stir it in with the quinoa. Then, add in the pecans and cranberries.
9. Whisk the cranberry sauce one more time and pour it over the quinoa salad, mixing the salad until everything is well-incorporated.
10. Serve hot or cold (I like mine over a bed of spinach so that I get more leafy greens).