Sweet Potato, Squash and Quinoa with Sage and Walnuts

I love simple, one pot meals that give me my protein and veggies all in one, and quinoa is a great source of protein.

My dog’s favorite source of protein is beef, followed closely by beef, followed closely by rabbit poop.  We have very different ideas about protein sources.

Before our dog, we had a cat for 19 years.  He was a fish guy, but enjoyed getting protein from smaller sources such as random bugs that got into the house.  He was my intrepid spider fighter.  If I screamed, he came running.  The dog has different ideas about that too.

A few years ago, I was working out in the basement with the dog (she spots me when I use the heavier weights) when for some reason, I had to run upstairs to get something.  As I came out of the room into the main part of the basement, I was viciously attacked by an enormous jumping spider.   Seriously, you could have put a saddle on that thing and ridden it.  I’m pretty sure it must have kicked in the door because there is no way something that large could have come in any other way.

Worse still, it was seeking vengeance.  There is nothing worse than a vengence-seeking jumping spider. It was more focused than Rambo and had moves that Jackie Chan can only dream about.  I jumped to the right, and it countered with a giant leap onto my foot. I managed to throw it off and feint a move to the left, but it was prepared and came at me from a different angle, cutting me off from the stairs which were my only means of escape.

Now, all this time, I was shrieking at the top of my lungs, sure that I was never going to come out of this encounter alive, and wishing I’d signed up for the martial arts class in collage instead of volleyball.

The dog, attracted by the commotion, finally stirred herself to see what all the fuss was about.  She took one look at the mutant monster spider, turned tail and took to the hills to save herself.  So much for loyal companion.  I’m pretty sure though that if a giant pork chop had been attacking me, she would have been all over the situation.  It would never have left the room alive.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup diced butternut squash
• 1 cup diced sweet potato
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, sauté onions, squash and potato in a bit of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and cook until just starting to get tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic and sage and sauté about 30 seconds,  till fragrant.  Add the quinoa and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn it down to simmer for about 15 minutes, till quinoa is fluffy and water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium/medium high heat.  Stir frequently, so they don’t burn, and as soon as you see them starting to turn golden and get fragrant, remove them from the stove.
4. When the quinoa is done, fluff the mixture with a fork, spoon it into a serving dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top.

Enjoy!