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My dearest baby sister is currently dating a very descent guy. So what on earth would this have to do with the not so skinny cook I hear you say. Well naturally one doesn’t want to look like a complete hill billy when being introduced to who might be your new brother-in-law. So I invited the lovely couple over for a Sunday lunch. Although I made all sorts of traditional Sunday foods like roast chicken and potatoes I also included this as a side dish…. I am however quite sure that this would also suffice as a light lunch when served with a green salad.

The roses are made by shaping sheets of phyllo into roses , don’t worry it is much easier than it looks and will impress your guests endlessly. Phyllo is quite easy to work with as long as it is brought to room temperature beforehand. I used olive oil in a spray bottle between the sheets of phyllo thus creating a more healthy version, lower in fat and calories, than when you use butter. The phyllo was still delish and beautifully brown, and no-one missed the butter.

This can be prepared a day in advanced, just don’t bake once the phyllo roses has been placed on. Place into your refrigerator and cover loosely with foil to prevent drying out and spoiling. Bake 1/2 an hour before lunch in a pre-heated oven of 180° c.

So here is how you go about to create this showstopper:

Ingredients:

1 package of frozen phyllo pastry (defrosted and brought to room temperature)
500g butternut cubed
2 red onions peeled and shopped roughly
1 red pepper seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper seeded and chopped
1 small bunch of spinach remove the large stems and chop
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/3 cup of pine kernels toasted in a pan for about 2 minutes until brown
one small roll of goat’s cheese (optional) cut into small chunks
Vegetable spice of choice (I use Ina Paarman’s Vegetable Spices)
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 220° c
Place all the veg (excluding the spinach) on a roasting tray and toss together with about 3 Tbsps of olive oil, sprinkle with the vegetable spice, salt and pepper to taste.
Roast in the pre-heated oven until all veg are soft and caramelized. (About 40 minutes)
In the mean time heat 2 Tbsps of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic. Add one-third of the spinach and stir while cooking. When the spinach has wilted remove and place aside. Add more spinach and repeat the process until all the spinach has been wilted.
To assemble the dish place the roasted vegetables in a rectangular oven dish, mix the pine kernels through, add the goat’s cheese and stir through gently. Place the spinach in a layer on top.
Remove the phyllo sheets from the packaging and place a wet, clean tea towel over the remaining pastry.
Separate the sheets placing one sheet on a clean working surface. Brush or spray with a thin layer of olive oil. Place onto the baking tray and trim off at the sides to fit snugly into the dish. Repeat with at least 4 layers of phyllo.

8. To fold a phyllo rose: Take both hands and pull phyllo up in the centre to make a fold.

9. Twist the phyllo around this fold and form a rose. Place roses on top of the phyllo layer to fit snugly.

10. Finally, bake at 180° c until the phyllo is crispy and brown. Serve immediately.

This earthy Moroccan quinoa gem squash is full of spicy flavors and is a delicious light lunch or side dish that goes well with roast meat.

Jump to Recipe

So it is Monday again. It is thát day again. We start work again after the weekend, feel a little blue and have a Meat-free day. So I compiled a little recipe for you that will brighten up your Monday-blues: Fragrant Moroccan quinoa gem squash. These little rounds of yellow, sunshine are filled with healthy, fluffy, quinoa, crunchy nuts and creamy feta cheese. The lemon and orange adds just the right amount of sweetness and zest. They work perfectly as a light lunch or dinner when served with a fresh green salad and flatbread. They are also the perfect side dish to roast chicken or pork chops. Quinoa is not just gluten-free but also packed with proteïn.

I usually cook quinoa in my pressure cooker for 13 minutes to speed things up a bit. Hence this recipe is a quick and easy one. Thanks to the addition of quinoa, this is also a super healthy dish. Quinoa contains lots of protein as well as all 9 of the amino acids. Furthermore, it is a awesome source of calcium, manganese, and magnesium. Quinoa is, therefore, a great vegetarian option. When you roast the gem squash, turn them face-down on the baking sheet to ensure that they roast evenly. This also ensures that they caramelize on the edges giving them a sweet, nutty taste.

If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy:

Cobb salad with creamy ranch dressing

Chicken salad bowl with pear and cranberries

Roasted vegetables under phyllo pastry

Remember to like and share with all your friends and family. I would also love to hear from you in the comment section.

Moroccan quinoa gem squash1

Healthy gem squash filled with quinoa, feta, nuts, and mint.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: gem squash, filled gem squash, moroccan-flavored gem squash, quinoa

Servings: 6 portions

Equipment

Pressure cooker for preparing the quinoa

Ingredients

3 gem squashes halved
30 ml garlic-flavored olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 large pinches salt
1 orange's zest and juice
1 lemon's zest and juice
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
30 g wall-nuts
1 wheel feta cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200° C
Season the gem squash with salt, drizzle the garlic-flavored olive oil over it and place face down on a baking sheet. When the oven is ready, insert into the oven and roast for 20 minutes
Add the quinoa, water, and salt to the pressure cooker and cook on high for 20 min. When done release the pressure and open the lid. Let the quinoa cool down slightly.
Add the remainder of the ingredients excluding the feta cheese to the quinoa and mix well.
Add the feta and mint and mix gently
Heat a frying pan and toast the nuts till they become slightly darker and release a nutty fragrance. Coarsely chop the toasted nuts and mix into the quinoa filling.
Spoon the quinoa into the gem squash and fill it to the top. Garnish with extra feta cheese and mint.

Notes

You can easily double the ingredients to make a lunch or a dinner.

HEALTHY RECIPES & LIFE STYLE

"Roasted vegetables under phyllo pastry"

Roasted Vegetables under Phyllo Pastry