I stumbled upon this recipe by accident when I happened to have leftover pumpkin puree. It wasn't enough puree for pie or cookies so I went looking for something I could use the leftovers in.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, uncooked (makes approximately 3 1/2 cups cooked quinoa)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
Handful of mushrooms sliced thin (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium (or vegetarian friendly stock if you prefer)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup (1.5 oz) Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves

Directions

1. Cook quinoa as per package instructions and set aside.
2. In the meanwhile, preheat large deep skillet on low - medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, saute until translucent, stirring occasionally.

3. Add pumpkin puree, chicken stock, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes uncovered.

4. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Add spinach 1 handful at a time, waiting for the spinach to wilt before adding more.

5. Remove from heat and add quinoa. Stir gently to combine. Adjust thickness with extra chicken stock if desired. Because of Parmesan cheese, liquid separation with time is normal. Just give it a good stir.
6. Serve hot.