As you all know, before I found deep healing through Nutritional Balancing, I was on the paleo diet for 5 years. The switch into Nutritional Balancing eating was not too different for me. I had to cut out a few major foods (I'm talking to you, fruit, pork, and natural sweeteners). I also had to be more careful about which vegetables I ate. Nightshades are not included in Nutritional Balancing because they are "yin" compared to other vegetables (more on this later...), they contain toxic alkaloids, and some contain trace amounts of nicotine. They are also just not that well tolerated by many people. I already knew that nightshades did not agree with my body. I avoided eggplant and bell peppers for that reason. When I started Nutritional Balancing, I stopped eating the other nightshades as well. These included tomatoes, white potatoes and paprika.

If you flip through any paleo cookbook, nearly every single recipe has fruit, pork, tomatoes or a natural sweetener in it. My beautiful shelf of cookbooks that I used to look through and cook from nearly everyday suddenly did not serve my needs as well as it had for the previous five years. Initially, I went super simple with my eating by roasting and steaming most of my vegetables and topping them with butter and sea salt. I roasted, grilled or pan seared most of my meat. I also used the pressure cooker a fair amount. But a few months in, I realized I needed to get some flavor into my food if this was going to be sustainable. Now I use my trusted paleo cookbooks 1-2x/week for more elaborate and flavorful dinners while sticking to simple foods the rest of the week. I've cut my grocery bill significantly, as well as my food prep time.

I've slowly been building my own set of nutritional balancing compliant recipes over the last year. They are not brand new -- most are so simple they aren't even worth writing down. Many are mash-ups of other recipes out there already. After about a year on nutritional balancing, I began to add back in very limited grains. I was a slow oxidizer, so they were recommended for me. I also felt like significant healing had occurred in my gut, so I would be able to tolerate them in limited amounts.

This recipe is a complete meal in one dish. It was my first experiment with quinoa. I served it to dinner guests who frequently eat quinoa, and they raved about it, so I wanted to share it with you. The components can be made ahead of time and combined just before the meal for some quick, satisfying and delicious comfort food.

It presents well on the table for a dinner party just as well as it makes for a hearty breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Without further ado, my first recipe!

Quinoa with Roasted Veggies and Goat Cheese

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Hands Off Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups Chicken Broth (homemade preferred)
1 cup Quinoa, rinsed in cold running water
1/2 Butternut Squash, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz Brussels Sprouts, sliced and chopped
1 Leek, cut in quarters lengthwise and chopped
1 tbsp Olive Oil or Ghee
2 tsp Thyme
1 1/2 tsp Real Salt (or sea salt)
4 oz goat cheese (with herbs if you can find it)

Directions:
To make the quinoa:

Bring broth to a boil.
Add rinsed quinoa.
Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Let rest 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.

To make the vegetables:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put the butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and leeks on a roasting tray. Massage in your fat of choice, thyme and salt. (Yes, massage. Get the fat all over everything to seal in the flavors.)
Bake until caramelized and beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes, turning once.

To serve:

Stir quinoa, roasted veggies and goat cheese together until combined. There should still be chunks of goat cheese.
Taste, and add salt if needed.

Note: If you made the quinoa and vegetables ahead of time, re-warm everything together in a skillet with the goat cheese before serving.

Other ways to make this recipe:

Switch up the vegetables:
- Try sweet potato, beets, carrots, or rutabaga in place of the squash.
- Try broccolini, broccoli, or asparagus in place of the Brussels sprouts.
- Throw in some cooked spinach or peas.
- Use red onions or shallots instead of leeks.
- Add a few minced garlic cloves to your roasting tray.
Omit the goat cheese or use a different kind of cheese
Change out the thyme for your favorite spice blends

Click the image below for a printable PDF of the recipe.

Chime in below, and let me know your favorite vegetable and spice combination!