Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash

1 Butternut Squash Sliced in Half, seeds taken out Also cut off about 1/2 of the solid butternut squash part and cut into tiny cubes

1 Cup quinoa

1/2 yellow onion minced

2 Cloves Garlic minced

1/2 Bunch of Asparagus chopped

5 Mushrooms chopped

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

Toast Quinoa then cook with 2 Cups water simmer uncovered until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender

While cooking the quinoa brown onion, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil. Add the cubed butternut squash and cook until the squash is almost fully cooked. (make sure you season with salt and pepper) Add chopped asparagus and saute until it slightly cooked and still has firmness to it.

Preheat oven to 365

Mix quinoa with vegetables. Taste. Add more salt and pepper appropriately. Stuff the hollow part of the squash generously. Cook Covered for about 45 minutes. Remove cover and top with the grated cheeses. Cook for another 15 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and the solid part of the squash is tender.

HELL YEA!

My last recipe was published on the official Kamut site. Check it out!!!! http://www.kamut.com/en/recipe-detail.html?recipeId=240
I guess writing recipes on your blog sit really does help!

New goal: become more involved with the boulder food52 community, as I am one of their bloggers: only a q &a to date, but i am sure that I need to be more active on their community website. http://boulder.wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/blog/2776_qa_with_dana_villiers_front_end_team_member

So to post something new. I've been brainstorming watch out LONGMONT, CO I may just be moving something into the hood in the next year/ year and a half.

Since ultimately this is supposed to be about my cooking adventures let me post my favorite go to salad in the fall/winter time...

Oranges, Pomegranate Seeds, and quasi Pickled Beets. MMMMMMMMm

Alright to start:
2 Oranges
1 Pomegranate
3 Small beets, I usually do 2 golden and one red.
1 box baby spring mix.
Dressing:
Juice from 1/2 of one of the Oranges
Juice from 1 lemon
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon or stone ground mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Smashed clove of garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Cut beets in half or however you prefer as long they are the same size and cut at least in half. Place into boiling water that just covers them. Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar and 3 tablespoons of sugar or honey. Boil for about 1/2 hour until cooked all the way through, then rinse with cold water until water rinses clear and beets are cool. Cut into small cubes that are just a little bit bigger then the pomegranate seeds.
2. Get the seeds out of the pomegranate. I usually cut the pomegranate into quarters then into a bowl of water I peel the skin off lightly rubbing the seeds and breaking the membrane to be able to get all the seeds out. (Water helps with getting all the seeds out without getting the spray of broken seeds all over your close and kitchen)
3. Peal and Cut Oranges into small pieces.
4. Assemble dressing by mixing all the ingredient together until the oil and juice is no longer separate.
5. Add lettuce to the beets, oranges, and pomegranates. Drizzle dressing to your liking on top, toss, and serve. I like to go light on the dressing because the juice from the oranges in the salad and sweetness from the pomegranates and beets is good enough to eat alone.

Stay on the Positive Side.

Meeting with some local amazing caters/personal chefs this week.

I want to learn about the tricks of the trade and cook.

Food is what drives me. Just cooking 7 days a week at home isn't hacking it anymore.

I have goals and dreams that in order to achieve I need to hustle.

I want to learn as much as I can about small businesses. Local businesses in the fabulous community of Boulder. I am so interested in this new hot spot opening up next week on Pearl St. Cured. I want in.

The thought of pastry school keeps crossing my mind. With my ultimate long term goals, really learning about pastry maybe the next step.

The next step, always so hard to take. To trust that the universe has something ready just for me. Staying positive in tough times, leaning on my friends and family and KNOWING that I am going to make it on my own.

I made an amazing salad for my Interview the other day, for a job that I did not get, bummer, but my creativity will prevail. And next week, back to working out and running. Maybe that's why I've been so down, no exercise makes a crabby Dana.

End of Summer Salad:

1 cup Kamut

1 Ripe Peach

1/4 cup sliced fresh Cherries (about 6)

1/4 cup Toasted chopped Pecans

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Rosemary

Splash of Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak Kamut overnight.

Cook Kamut with 2 cups water simmering until the Kamut wheat starts to split (you don't want it to be too chewy)

Mix dressing ingredients with warm Kamut.

Once Kamut is cooled add cherries, peaches, and pecans.

Can be served cold or room temperature.