Eating For Your Future/ Kale and Quinoa Pilaf with Pan-Roasted Squash

I so enjoyed the Kale and Quinoa Salad that I posted last week. It was so easy to just spoon into a bowl and enjoy for breakfast. But after eating it for 2 weeks in a row(I can really get in a rut!) , I was ready for a change. In my search, I came across THIS recipe from Epicurean Escapian. It's another kale and quinoa salad, but so very different from the recipe that I posted last week. It's savory, yet sweet and just all out YUM! I had planned to have it for breakfast, but it didn't quite make it. As I was putting it together, my husband came into the kitchen and said, That smells awfully good. Are we having that for dinner?" How could I disappoint him, so yes, it was for dinner. As usual, I made a few changes.

The recipe calls for only 1/2 cup of Butternut squash. I purchased a small squash which yielded 2 cups of diced squash. 1/2 cup seemed a little skimpy to me, so I decided to use the entire squash. I'm glad I did. If you do decide to use more squash, increase the spices in proportion to the amount of squash that you have. For 2 cups of squash, 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons of oil would have been sufficient. So do not increase the oil in proportion to the amount of squash that you have. Use a little less.    

 To peel the squash, I use a vegetable peeler. Works great!

The recipe says to massage the oil, lemon and salt into the kale. Be sure to do this as the mixture will permeate the kale and give the most wonderful flavor. Just be sure to wash your hands first!!!  :)
I also used quite a bit more kale, about triple the amount that the recipe called for.

Once the quinoa has cooked, stir in the kale. To be honest, you could stop right here as the mixture is absolutely delicious. It would be great with some toasted pine nuts and a little grated Parmesan cheese. 

Finally, I chopped and toasted pecans, and sprinkled them over the top of the roasted squash. Great addition.

I will be making this dish again and making sure that I have some for breakfast. The butternut squash has a slightly sweet taste, but for breakfast the addition of little honey drizzled over the mixture would make for a nice breakfast treat. 
I hope you enjoy as much as I did if you give it a try :)
Rhonda