• Cooking Time: 35
• Servings: 2 large bowls
• Preparation Time: 25
• 1 squash (acorn or delicata), whole
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1-2 large carrot, julienned
• 1 sweet (red) pepper, julienned
• 1-2 beets, peeled and shredded (or any other vegetable of choice, shredded)
• 3-4 kale leaves, rolled up in chiffonnade and cut into 1/4 inch ribbons
• 4-5 Tbsps of hummus or your favourite bean dip (I often make this one: http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/Gen's-Creamy-White-Bean-Dip/60169/)
• 1 sliced avocado (optional)
• DRESSING
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
• 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (just eyeball it)

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Halve squash crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Slice a small piece off bottom of each squash half just enough to level (if needed).Set squash halves, scooped sides down, on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes (make sure you don't overcook as you want it to be cooked but not mushy). Turn off oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove peel with hands and chop into 3/4-inch cubes.
3. 2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa and then place in a medium pot. Add in 1.5 cups of water and stir. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low/medium and cover with lid. Simmer, covered, for about 14-17 minutes (you can check after 13 minutes), until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and leave the lid on to steam for another 5-10 minutes or longer if needed. Fluff with fork.
5. 3. Make the kale dressing: In a magic bullet or blender, combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt. Add the nutritional yeast, if using. Mix until you get a smooth homogenous texture. Add a bit of dressing to the chopped kale- just enough to coat (you don't need it all)- and mix well.
7. 4. Assemble the bowl: Add a couple handfuls of kale (with dressing on) into a large shallow bowl. Top with carrots, grated beets and sliced avocado. Add a dollop of hummus in the middle. See picture for how I plated it. Serve immediately and enjoy! You can add more dressing if you'd like, but I don't usually bother. If you have leftover roasted squash, you can place it in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 400F for about 5-10 minutes. When you serve, you can put leftover dressing on the table in case anyone wants to add some to their dish.

FEATURING: Squash (acorn, delicata or butternut), red pepper, carrot, beets, kale, and garlic. Looking at what was in our organic CSA box this week, I was wondering what I could make that would use up many of the veggies and be different than recipes that I shared recently. Then I remembered a great vegan bowl I ordered at a restaurant last year. So I looked for inspiration online and decided to adapt a recipe from Oh She Glows (Angela Liddon) that reminded me of the dish I once ordered! Our kids loved this dish- they dipped their julienned veggies in the bean dip and ate the rest as a big salad. It was quite filling actually! The plate looks a lot better than this picture (taken with too low of a light). For the squash: You can also dice up the squash and bake it without the peel. NOTE: If using delicata squash, you don't need to peel the squash at all- also, you may need to reduce cooking time by a few minutes. VARIATION: You can also add chopped lettuce with the kale at the bottom of the bowl. VARIATION 2: You can also add roasted chickpeas: Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas and then place on a large tea towel and pat until completely dry. Discard any skins that fall off. Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Rub them around with your hands until lightly coated. Generously sprinkle with fine grain sea salt and your favourite spices. I like to use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Toss gently to combine.