Autumn Quinoa & Butter Beans

dicentra's Note:

This looks great! Some people rinse their quinoa (to remove the bitter coating). I never do.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• ½ cup quinoa
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• ¾ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• ¾ cup orange blossom water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup diced sweet potato (1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup diced butternut squash (1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 ½ cups canned butter beans (drained and rinsed)
• ¼ cup chopped cranberries

Directions:

1. Melt the margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and ginger, and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened. Stir in the orange juice, water, honey, salt, coriander, cardamom, and nutmeg; bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the sweet potato and squash; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 7 minutes. Stir in the butter beans and quinoa, and return to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the cranberries; simmer, covered, 5 minutes longer.

Reviews

[Chef #874900]

This dish turned out pretty good. I omitted the onion and ginger (onion due to breastfeeding) and used sweetened dried cranberries. I was confused in the directions where it says to stir in the orange juice and water, etc. The orange juice I assumed was the orange blossom water but regular water was not listed in the ingredients. Typically with quinoa you use 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid. So, I added 1/4 cup of water. This wasn't enough liquid though. Maybe adding a total of 1/2 of a cup of water would do it. With only 1/4 cup of water, the quinoa wasn't cooked all the way. That aside, I loved this dish. I will make this again with the ginger and stay with using the sweetened cranberries. Husband didn't like this dish at all, the orange blossom water was too much for him. Either you love it or hate it. Will make again and again. I roasted the rest of the butternut squash in the oven using a recipe from this site "Caramelized Butternut Squash".