Dandelion Greens and Kabocha Over Tanini Lime Quinoa

I recently ran out of the cooked beans I had prepped over the weekend. Luckily quinoa is a great stand in, and takes almost no time to make. If I had been thinking about it, I would have roasted up a lot more kabocha squash last weekend, too. This dinner was made on a lazy Friday night when I didn't need to rush off anywhere. I think the whole thing took an hour total, including savoring and clean up.

Dandelion Greens and Kabocha Over Tahini Lime Quinoa

Dinner Menu:

Roasted Kabocha

Lightly salted oven roasted kabocha squash.

Boiled Dandelion Greens

Fresh local dandelion greens, boiled to remove bitterness*.

Tahini Lime Quinoa

Quinoa with tahini and a hint of lime.

Roasted Kabocha (30-40 minutes)

Kabocha is one of my favorite squashes. It's rich and sweet. Anytime I find a recipe that calls for a sweet potato, I'm happy to substitute kabocha instead. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop the kabocha into 1 inch chunks. Don't worry about the skins, they will be soft and delicious. Place the kabocha in a baking dish you can cover. Add salt and a high heat oil and mix well. Cook covered for about 20 minutes, then check it. If the kabocha is soft, uncover and allow to crisp for about 10 minutes. 

Kabocha Squash With Peel

Boiled* Dandelion Greens (20-30 minutes)

Dandelion greens are great for you and you can often find them locally in these barren winter months. The biggest issue is they are incredibly bitter. There are a few ways to approach this. In this recipe I use a few water baths to soak the bitterness out. Bring water to a boil. Chop the greens into 1-2 inch chunks. Once boiling, add the greens and leave them 5 minutes. After 5 minutes change out the water bath, and repeat. Some people add salt to the water to help pull the bitterness out. I find that after 2 boils, the dandelion greens are quite delicious. They have almost an artichoke flavor to them. 

Local Dandelion Greens

Tahini Lime Quinoa (20 minutes)

I always start with toasting the quinoa in the pan. Pour 1 cup of dry quinoa into a hot pot on the stove. Stir the dry quinoa for a few minutes, until it pops regularly and begins to smell like popcorn. If you have a light colored quinoa, let it go until some of the grains are brown. Add a cup and a half of water, which will immediately begin to boil. Boil the quinoa until it's soft and the water is gone. Add more water if necessary. While it's cooking add in a generous spoonful of tahini, as well as soy sauce and lime juice to taste. If it tastes to salty or boring, add more lime juice. If it tastes too sour, add more soy sauce.  

Today's Plastic Free Local Shopping List:

Local Dandelion Greens at New Seasons

People's Coop:

Kabocha Squash 1.49/lb

Bulk Soy Sauce 3.99/lb

Bulk Tahini 7.49/lb

Bulk Colorado Quinoa 5.89/lb

New Seasons/Fred Meyers:

Dandelion Greens 2.99/bunch

Lime Juice** 3.99/12.5oz

Safflower Oil 8.99/740ml

Boiling Dandelion Greens to Remove Bitterness

*Boiling is not the first way I would treat a green. Many people are concerned that boiling food causes some of the nutrients to seep into the water and leaves it less nutritious. In general, when you cook food you are unlocking and breaking down many of the complex sugars your body would not be able to absorb otherwise. This can also be done by roasting or sauteing. Even though some of the nutrients come out when you boil vegetables, there is a net gain in what you are able to absorb compared to eating them raw. With dandelion greens the intention is to actively remove the molecules that are causing the bitter flavor, so that they will be palatable. I'm sure they lose some nutrients along with the bitterness, but I wouldn't be able to swallow them otherwise. As it stands, they're one of my new favorite foods.

** You can get lime juice that comes in glass, has a long shelf life, and stores unregenerate until opened. It's usually in the juice isle.