A Salad Certain To Please

Last week I teased you with a rather incredible photo, and promised that I’d share the recipe when I could.  Well, today is the day, as the recipe is now up in the local paper.  I thought it would be bad form to post it here on the blog before putting it in the paper.

This recipe was ultimately inspired by Jamie Oliver.  His show Jamie At Home has me entranced, and one week he did a show on pumpkin, that really caught my attention.  One recipe in particular, made me want to jump through the screen and lick his plate clean, and that was for a salad he’d made with roasted pumpkin and duck breast.  He piled greens, pumpkin, crispy duck and vinaigrette on a plate, and it just looked so spectacular!  That show has stuck with me, and I even have that recipe in his book that is now in my possession.  That plate was my inspiration, and I started my salad with a roasted butternut squash. I added black beans, onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno and parsley for a beautiful amalgamation of color.  A simple vinaigrette marries with the warm squash, and the whole thing is capped off with a smattering of crispy cooked bacon.  (Since duck is a rare find in my neck of the woods.)  The salad is nothing short of spectacular if I say so myself.  It made a great light dinner for me all on its lonesome, but I really think it would accompany just about anything.  Any meat, roasted to perfection would benefit from this salad accompanying it. The serving size of eight is definitely as a side dish- as a more substantial main course, you could maybe get four out of it, depending on the size of the squash you begin with.

Warm Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Serving Size  : 8

1 butternut squash — peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

2 teaspoons  olive oil

salt and pepper — to taste

1 can  black beans — drained and rinsed (15 oz. can)

1 bell pepper — seeded and diced

1/2 cup  red onion — diced fine

1jalapeno — seeded and finely diced

3 tablespoons  fresh parsley — chopped

5 slices  bacon — cooked and crumbled

Spicy Sweet Vinagrette:

1/3 cup  apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons  honey

1/2 teaspoon  red pepper flakes

1/4 cup  fresh lemon juice — juice from 1 lemon

1teaspoon  lemon zest

1/3 cup  olive oil

salt and pepper — to taste

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place the cubed butternut squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper to taste.  Mix it around a bit to evenly distribute the oil and seasonings

Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, stirring the squash twice during baking, until the edges are golden brown and the squash is easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, place the black beans in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for three minutes, or until the beans are nice and hot. Prepare the vinaigrette by placing all the ingredients into a mason jar with a tight-sealing lid and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.

Gently put the cooked squash in a large mixing bowl.   Add the black beans, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, parsley and 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette.  Toss gently and season with a touch of salt and pepper if desired.

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter.  Top with bacon crumbles. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 319 Calories; 13g Fat (33.5% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 75mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.