Butternut Squash, Chicken Sausage, and Kale Quinoa Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced into bite- sized pieces

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 12 ounces chicken sausage links

• 4 cups chopped Tuscan kale

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup dried cherries

• 4 ounces goat cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place butternut squash on baking sheet. drizzle with 2 tbsp. of olive oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until squash is soft.

4. Meanwhile, place quinoa and 2 cups of boiling water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water.

6. While quinoa and squash are cooking, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet over medium heat.

7. Add onion and chicken sausage and cook until onion begins to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

8. Add the kale, garlic, and sage and cook until kale is wilted, about 4-5 minutes.

9. Once squash and quinoa have cooked, add them both to the skillet with the sausage and kale. Stir to combine. If your skillet isn't big enough, just add it all to a bowl.

10. Mix together olive oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Drizzle over quinoa mixture, stirring to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

11. Top with cherries, goat cheese, and garnish with sage.

Recipe from Greens & Chocolate Blog

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Yield: 6 hearty servings

Nutrition per serving:

434 calories

20g fat

22g protein

43g carbohydrates

6 g fiber

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A note from Joni Gerken, RDN, CDN:

You might notice this delicious recipe includes all five food groups, which are: Vegetables, Fruit, Grains, Protein, and Dairy. You should aim to get all five food groups at most meals. Many Americans lack adequate fruits and vegetables in their diet with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers finding that only 1 in 10 adults in the United Stated meet daily recommendations for these two important food groups. Take a look at your diet to see if you are getting your daily recommendations.

• Adult women need at least 1 1/2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day

• Adult men need at least 2 cups of fruit and 3 1/2 cups of vegetables each

*For more information on food group recommendations visit https://www.myplate.gov/https://www.myplate.gov/