Andean Bean Stew with Winter Squash and Quinoa

I smelled this and barely tasted it at a friend's house one evening, but just knew it would be good. I had asked for the recipe, but she lost it, of course. So I did a search online and found this.
I LOVED this recipe.
First, holy health food Batman! Beans, squash, garlic, onions, tomatoes (vitamins!!)...Meatless (gotta follow that Word of Wisdom thing!)
Second, have you ever tried quinoa??? I believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that it is one of the only-if not the only-plant derived protein that is a complete protein. Meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need to function (yea, for my nutrition course paying off!) Usually you only get that with animal products. Plus, it is super easy to fix. And super yummy!

Now, onto the recipe.

Andean Bean Stew with Winter Squash and Quinoa

1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over, soaked in 2 quarts water overnight or for 6 hours
Salt
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1tbs sweet paprika
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with liquid
1 lb winter squash, such as butternut, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
½ cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
Freshly ground pepper
3 tbs chopped fresh basil or parsley

1. Place the beans and soaking water in a large pot. Add water if necessary to cover the beans by about 2 inches, and bring to a boil, Skim off foam, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 60 minutes, or until the beans are tender but intact. Add salt to taste. 2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick frying pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes, and add the paprika. Stir together for about a minute, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for a minutes or two, until the garlic and onions are very fragrant but not brown, and stir in the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes, Remove from the heat and scrape the contents of the pan into the pot of beans. 3. Bring the beans back to a simmer, add the bay leaf and winter squash, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the squash and beans are thoroughly tender. Add the quinoa and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the quinoa is translucent and displays an opaque thread. Taste and adjust salt. Add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Stir in the basil or parsley, simmer for a couple of minutes more, and serve, with cornbread or crusty country bread.

It takes a little time, mainly to cut up the butter nut squash. Unless you have a rubber mallet, which, of course, I don't. Other than that, it just simmers forever and makes the house smell nice and warm, just in time for Fall.
I altered the recipe a tiny bit...I didn't care to wait to soften the beans. And considering my mental state right now, probably would have forgotten to do it the night before anyhow. So instead I just used 2 cans of pinto beans with the liquid and then put a little more water in (maybe about 1/2 inch over the beans, brought to a boil and simmered for about 7 minutes). Then followed the rest of the recipe.
The kids even thanked me for dinner! (Okay they usually do, but not generally when they don't like what we are eating.)
And the cornbread...delish!