This colourful salad from Chatelaine is a great side dish with grilled meat or seafood, and it would also be a good vegetarian entrée. Roast squash and toss with peppery arugula, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and feta. Drizzle with an apple juice-Dijon vinaigrette and enjoy.
Roast the squash until tender and beginning to brown
The squash and sweet dressing complement peppery arugula
Top with crumbled feta and dried cranberries
Avoiding Additives and Preservatives
Look for a Dijon mustard without benzoate of soda or sulfites – I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon. Make sure the feta does not contain preservatives and that the cranberries do not contain sulfites. I used Ocean Spray craisins, which are additive-free.
Ingredients:
¾ cup (174 ml) apple juice
2 tbsp (30 ml) cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard
1 butternut squash, about 1.4 kg, washed well
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
4 cups (1 L) baby arugula
1 cup (250 ml) crumbled feta
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 tbsp (30 ml) dried cranberries
Preparation:
Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat to 400 F (200 C). Line 2 large baking sheets with foil.
Boil apple juice with vinegar and garlic in a small saucepan. Boil until reduced to ¼ cup (60 ml) about 10 min. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tbsp (45 ml) oil and Dijon.
Cut a large, shallow slit through the skin of squash. Microwave on high to make it easier to cut, 3 to 5 min. Slice unpeeled squash in half and discard seeds. Cut into 1/3-in.-thick (0.8 cm) slices. Toss with remaining oil, honey and salt until coated. Spread out on prepared baking sheets. Roast until just tender and edges are starting to brown, about 15 min.
Divide arugula among plates. Top with warm squash. Drizzle with dressing. Top with feta, pepitas and cranberries. Serves 4.
From Chatelaine
