{"id":13993,"date":"2013-10-20T20:44:19","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T03:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=13993"},"modified":"2013-10-21T09:58:43","modified_gmt":"2013-10-21T16:58:43","slug":"autumn-apple-quinoa-and-butternut-squash-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/autumn-apple-quinoa-and-butternut-squash-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"Autumn Apple, Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Heirloom<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Apples = Autumn to me. The signs are everywhere – the days are cooler, evening settles in sooner, and kids are back in school. It must be\u00a0apple\u00a0season.<\/p>\n

One of the earliest cultivated fruits, the apple has come a long way from its crabapple-like ancestors. Careful cultivation has transformed those original small, sour apples into large, sweet fruits. Grown in many parts of the globe, modern apples come in more than 7,500 varieties, representing a number of different shapes, colors and flavors.<\/p>\n

Apples are probably the most consumed fruit in the western world, having found a home in both sweet and savory dishes. And on their own, unpeeled, they are the original \u2018fast food\u2019, containing a good amount of vitamins A and C and fiber.<\/p>\n

Besides their ancient history, excellent shelf life and health benefits, apples are one of the most versatile of all fruits when it comes to cooking. Apples shine in cakes, jams, pies, sauces and even meat dishes and stews and also play well with other foods and flavors. What’s your favorite apple dish?<\/p>\n

\"Heirloom<\/a><\/div>\n

My favorite way to eat apples is out-of-hand, with peanut butter slathered on slices, or with firm aged cheeses like manchego, sharp white cheddar, or parmigiano reggiano. But when the wonderful folks at\u00a0Frieda’s Specialty Produce<\/a> sent me four different varieties of heirloom apples to play with, I knew they were expecting more : ) I couldn’t tell them I ate all the Cox Pippin, King David, Roxbury and Ashmead apples just as they are. So when a friend of mine sent me a link to a Fig’s restaurant recipe from the L.A. Times<\/a> that exuded autumn goodness and was healthy to boot, I wasted no time in giving one of the green Roxbury’s a chance to pair its crisp, bright tartness with earthy quinoa and sweet butternut squash.<\/p>\n

Just in case you’re not familiar with the term:\u00a0\u201cHeirloom\u201d refers to varieties dating back to earlier periods in human history. There are hundreds of Heirloom Apple varieties and all of Frieda’s heirloom apples are organic. Please enjoy this satisfying and healthy autumn-inspired salad, full of good-for-you vegetables, fiber-rich quinoa and crisp apples tossed with an ambrosial orange vinaigrette, it’s gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan!<\/p>\n

\"Autumn<\/a><\/p>\n

\"autumn<\/a><\/p>\n

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