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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

roasted butternut salad with arugula and pomegranate dressing




Oh, the beauty of roasted squashes! There's something about roasting that brings out the robust sweetness of the lovely fall squashes , as well as the beautiful colors reflecting the changing of the season outside.
I saw a picture of this salad in one of Jamie Oliver's cookbooks, and the photograph summed up all the celebration of October, don't you think?
Instead of a traditional red wine vinegar, I decided to try a pomegranate-juice based dressing. I reduced the pomegranate juice by half, and mixed it with the olive oil. Lovely! It brought a tang of sweet/sour to the roasted squash that tasted wonderful.
To make 2 -3 servings:
one half a butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into cubes
olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and cut into thick slivers
a few fresh cranberries ( optional)
a handful of arugula
a handful of green leaf lettuce
parmesan or Campo Montalban cheese, shaved with a cheese plane
a few leaves of sage
Preheat oven to 400F.
Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the squash, onion, and cranberries - and a few squash seeds for interest and flavor. Cut sage into slivers and toss half of them on top of the squash mixture. Roast at a high temperature until squash is tender and shows a bit of color. You can also saute the squash if you prefer. If you want more color, just run the squash under a broiler until it's tinged with charring.
Dressing:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
3 T. olive oil
NO salt
Reduce the pomegranate juice by half, then mix quickly with the olive oil.
Drizzle on top of salad as wished
Place a handful of the lettuces in a bowl or on a plate. Spoon the squash, onion, and cranberry on top, then drizzle with the pomegranate dressing. Shave the cheese and add a few slices to each serving.
Enjoy the Autumn days!
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11 comments:

Table Talk said...

Very nice balance in this salad with a mix of sweet, peppery, and tart...full of fall flavors and beautiful color.

katrina said...

Thanks, Debi! I couldn't describe it better than you just did - such a perfect Autumn salad.

Kalyn Denny said...

It does sound tasty! I love butternut squash in most any form.

Chef Fresco said...

Yum! I love butternut squash! This salad looks delicious & nice choice of dressing!

katrina said...

Oh, so glad you agree, Kalyn - even if it doesn't quite make it into the South Beach diet! Absolutely loved the pomegranate dressing, which would go so well with meats and poultry. Thanks!

katrina said...

Thank you, chefs! What a treat that was, with that scrumptious cheese and the profound variety of tastebud sparkers. Yummers!

katrina said...

Ah, thanks, Sophie! The sweetness of the squash and the pomegranate work so well here - and the arugula gives a lot of spicy. I love it! Thinking it would be delicious with game, lamb, or roast beef, too.

J Rodney said...

This really does look fantastic. I am a huge fan of butternut squash, and I actually thought of roasting one for tonight's dinner.

katrina said...

Thanks, FrugalMom! I'm nuts about roasted butternut and acorn squashes ( actually, pretty much ANY squash)- and, of course, sweet potatoes. The pomegranate dressing gave a nice zip to the squash, but, really, I'd still love it plain, over and over.

Anonymous said...

OMG! This looks delicious!

and thank you for visiting my blog!

katrina said...

Glad you enjoyed, arunshanbhag! Your Indian flower seller photo essay was thought-provoking, but also very beautiful...enjoyed your blog very much!