Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Pecans, Dried Fruit and Gorgonzola

Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine started out cold, grey and ugly but then the sun popped out, the wind died down and it ended up being a beautiful Fall weekend. I spent a lot of time outdoors soaking up the sun, and some time in the kitchen experimenting with a few Fall desserts. 

I also made two soups( which I will share at a letter date) and this scrumptious roasted vegetable salad. During the week I like my meals to be simple and easy and this salad fits the bill perfectly. You can make a big bowl of this salad and eat it, as is, or with greens, you can even add a little protein if you feel like. 

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pecans, Dried Fruit and Gorgonzola Cheese

Adapted from Julia’s Album

Ingredients:

11/2 cups toasted pecans

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried cherries

Roasted butternut squash(see below)

1/4 gorgonzola cheese

2 cups cooked quinoa

11/2 lbs butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In a large bowl combine spices, syrup, oil and squash, mix well then pour onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until the squash is golden and tender. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl combine the squash, dried fruit, and pecans and cheese, mix well. Plate up a portion of quinoa in each bowl and top with a scoop of squash mixture. 

Note: I forgot to add the cheese. 

Did you make anything tasty this weekend or have any exciting plans? Whatever you did I hope it was fun and relaxing.

I hope that you have a fabulous week.

Linking to Rooted in Thyme