Squash Quinoa Cranberry Salad

Wow, it's been forever since I have made anything even remotely healthy! I eat healthier when I have a daily routine. When unemployed, I kinda just eat whatever whenever(like Shakira?). The funny thing is, I have lost 10/15 lbs since I left Bermuda! I THINK it is because my family likes to eat early, so I try and cook for them and have it ready by 6/6:30, as opposed to when I live by myself and spend all night cooking a meal not eating till 9. Just this little change of routine has apparently made a huge difference, because I cant think of anything that has changed!

I roasted the squash way higher than they said. I wanted it to be a little crispy and not smooshy.

Another change I made was to cook the cranberries a bit. I don't like plain dried cranberries, I wanted them to plump up a little.

Blending spices for the dressing. Cumin, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne.

Chickpeas with the sauteed onions and cranberries.

Making the dressing. Again, we changed this a bit. Added some juice from the orange, not just zest.

Toasting the walnuts.

Everything is in here now. Except the goat cheese.

This was really tasty and super healthy. It would be great as a side, but we didn't feel like making anything else that night. As I said before, we changed the following:
couscous to quinoa
saute the cranberries with the onions
add juice from the orange to the dressing instead of just the zest
roast the squash super hot(like 500) so it browns a bit
put the goat cheese on top, but mix in the walnuts(opposite of what they do)

Check the original recipe here