Quinoa with Tempeh

This ancient grain is a powerhouse of goodness. Packed with essential protein and other nutritional necessities, it was used extensively in the Pre-Columbian culture. The outer coating can be a bit bitter, so it is best to soak the quinoa prior to cooking it. Cooking quinoa is similar to rice. Simply use 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa. Bring to a boil and simmer for 14-18 minutes until the seed pops open and a curly-que shaped inner "germ" (not THAT kind of germ, silly!) emerges. My favorite dish for quinoa is as follows:

Ingredients (serves two to four depending on appetite and, well, all sorts of things)

1 cup quinoa
1 medium acorn squash (delicata squash works nicely, too)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 package of Tempeh (3 grain is yummy)
8 ounces (or more) of feta cheese cubed or crumbled
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (Braggs amino acids are good, too)

Prepare quinoa as directed above. Set aside.
Split, and clean acorn squash and bake in an oven at 375 for 40- mins until moderately soft.
Chop onion, mince garlic and saute in olive oil until clear and soft.
Cut tempeh into cubes and add to onion mixture, stir and continue to cook until tempeh is browned and onions are caramelized.

In a bowl mix the tempeh/onion mixture with the quinoa and add the cubed cheese and walnuts. Fill the squash with this in a hugely bountiful and heaping way and return it to the oven to re-heat at 375 until the cheese is hot. Being feta, it won't melt, per se, but it will heat through after about 10 minutes.