Quinoa Stuffing

Heat oven to 400 F.

In a small sauce pan, bring apple juice to a simmer. Add dried cranberries or cherries. Remove from heat and allow fruit to hydrate while preparing remaining ingredients.

Toss the butternut squash with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread squash on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, stirring once. After 15 minutes, add chopped apples to the baking sheet, roast an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.

While squash roasts, prepare quinoa. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add onions and celery, saute 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and all dried herbs; saute 2 minutes more.

Add broth and bring to a boil; add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.

Add dried cranberries and any unabsorbed juice. If quinoa is soupy at this point, simmer, uncovered, until thickened (it should be similar in consistency to a thin oatmeal.)

Add roasted squash and apples to the thickened quiona mixture. Spread in a buttered 9×9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until brown.

Garnish with toasted pecans and fresh chopped parsley.