3 Sisters Quinoa Salad
Author: Anita
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup quinoa
  • 1⅓ cups water
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 3 cups peeled, diced butternut squash (about ½ small squash)
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen corn (thawed)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • optional: ½ cup diced green chiles, 2 tbsp roasted pepitas
Instructions
  1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a mesh strainer to eliminate bitterness. Drain.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring water and pinch of salt to a boil, stir in quinoa, return to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, stir and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  5. Toss the diced butternut squash with 2 tbsp olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan or baking dish. Roast till squash is solt and slightly golden brown, stir halfway through. Allow 15 minutes for small dice and 25 minutes for larger dice. Cool.
  6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté corn till warm, a couple minutes (if fresh, increase cook time to lightly brown corn, up to 5 minutes). Add chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano and sauté till fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp water and stir to make a paste. Let mixture cool
  7. In a large mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Add cooled spice mixture and adjust seasoning to taste. If salad is too dry, add a little olive oil and/or lime juice.
  8. If desired, mix in green chiles and garnish with pepitas. Best served cold as a side dish or over salad greens.
Notes
Commentary:
Last Saturday, my #DenverBloggersClub met at Uncorked Kitchen in Centennial for a healthy cooking class taught by Chef Sarah, nutritionist & trained chef. We all had a blast along with a wonderful lunch and some great tips on cooking nutritious food. We made Tempeh BLT Sandwiches, Lime Mango Sorbet, and this Three Sisters Quinoa Salad. I've made plenty of quinoa salads before, and this recipe is one of my all-time favorites. I'll be making it again & again. First bite - wow!

Ever been to Uncorked Kitchen? I'd never heard of it & I was blown away. It has a wine tasting bar and a number of kitchens with trained chefs on staff for cooking classes. You can sign up for one of their regular classes or (as in our case) get a private class for your group.

Now this recipe is easy and has an amazing balance of flavors. It's great with or without the chiles. The butternut squash adds a wonderful nutty sweetness - just the right amount. I learned that dicing the squash, coating it with olive oil, then roasting it caramelizes the squash. This brings out the flavor and sweetness. Very important. I also learned that cooking spices (chili powder) in oil brings out the flavor. Otherwise this recipe is basic cooking and assembling - easy! Hope you like it!
Recipe by Denver Green Chili at https://denvergreenchili.com/recipes/salads/3-sisters-quinoa-salad/