Ask and ye shall receive!

We had quinoa with dinner again last week. I took photos. :)

Our dinner was Salmon with Maple Balsamic Glaze, butternut squash, and quinoa. It was super yummy! I posted the recipe for the squash once before, but for convenience sake, I'll do it again.

Butternut Squash

½ cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (I used a medium-small one)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic from a jar but fresh would be better)
2 ¼ lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed (I used about 1 1/4 lbs)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash cayenne pepper (don't have any)
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (forgot this)
½ cup dried cranberries or grated Parmesan cheese - optional (I used both)

Toast pecans in ungreased skillet; stir to avoid burning. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over low; saute onion and garlic until tender (15 min). Add squash, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still holding its shape (20 min).

Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in half the pecans and half the parsley. Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with remaining pecans and parsley. Option: Sprinkle with cranberries or Parmesan.

The salmon recipe is from a dear friend I've known since I was pregnant with The Girl. She has a son the same age.

Salmon with Maple Balsamic Glaze

2 tbsp maple syrup (I use real maple syrup)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I use red; she uses white)

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp minced garlic (I use jarred when I don't have fresh)

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt (I omit this)

¼ tsp pepper (I omit this)

1 lb salmon steaks or fillets

In a small saucepan, mix together syrup, vinegar, juice and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced. Remove from heat and stir in oil. Pour over salmon and marinate 10 minutes.

Remove salmon and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Liberally brush salmon with marinade. Broil or grill 4-5 inches from heat on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals (12 min. per inch of thickness). For fillets, baste again halfway through cooking; for steaks, turn halfway through cooking time and baste again.

It was entirely too cold to grill the salmon so I baked it. When I do this, I triple the marinade and then cook the salmon IN the marinade. (You could easily do this with doubling the recipe.) The cooked marinade makes a wonderful glaze to pour over rice or whatever you serve it with (in this case, the quinoa).

Now for the quinoa. Again, I made the basic recipe but instead of using water, I used chicken broth.

Here is what the quinoa looks like in the package.

You make it just like rice. Here it is when I first put it in the pot...

...and here it is when it is finished.

The final meal...bon appetite! Again - I used some of the glaze on the quinoa for extra flavor.