Thursday, January 17, 2013

Friendzgiving

Hellooooooo! Long time, no talk. My apologies. But I have something amazing to share with you. Granted, as you can probably infer from the title of this post, it's from Thanksgiving. Yes, I know, I know- I'm bad at getting things done. Again, I'm sorry.


ANYWAY, this is (kind of) healthy, full of texture, and just perfect for fall. So, save it for next year. Or, if you live on the edge, make it now. It came from my favorite place to find recipes, How Sweet.

I made this salad (yes, it's a salad) around this time last last year when I threw a fall-themed dinner party. That was also the first time I ever roasted a chicken. It's safe to say my life was forever changed that day. Although the salad came out great-- and was a hit-- I did several things differently.



First, I bought a butternut squash and subsequently came home and had no idea what to do with it. Yes, I could have Googled "how to peel a butternut squash" (isn't Google-ing things how everyone in our generation obtains information?) but I was so intimidated I just didn't bother. Intimidated by a squash, it's embarrassing! And my, how times have changed.




Second, I left out the pomegranate arils. Don't ask why. It was a rookie mistake.

ALSO, I left out the bread. It was practically heresy.




And lastly, I didn't make my own dressing. Perhaps I was a bit overwhelmed- making this salad, roasting a chicken and baking rolls all in the same day.



This time, though, I did it right. For some sixteen people, I had to modify the quantities from the original recipe, and of course did so to suit my own tastes (aka lots of bread and fruit). Feel free to use as much squash, sweet potatoes, apples, and bread as you see fit.

Disclaimer: Although I am no longer intimidated by the squash, peeling and cubing them are A TON of work. So, I used part pre-peeled and cubed squash. The recipe below reflects exactly what I did, so it may seem odd.


Roasted Autumn Panzanella Salad 

(adapted from How Sweet)

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 2 lb bag of pre-peeled and cubed butternut squash
3 sweet potatoes
3 Tbs olive oil
3/4 t salt
3/4 t pepper
3/4 t garlic powder
3/4 t cinnamon
3/4 t chili powder
6 apples, chopped
1 loaf of multi grain bread, thickly sliced
> 1 c pomegranate arils

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and cube the squash. This is hard, hence the additional of pre-peeled and cubed squash. Thank goodness for that. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. This is much easier. Place these in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix together the spices.

Toss about 3/4 of this mixture into the bowl with the squash and sweet potatoes.



Spread onto a baking sheet. (I had to use a few- for some reason I don't have a proper sized baking sheet). Bake for about 10 min, turn over, and then bake for another 10.

While these are baking, cut the apples and toss with the rest of the spices.

Add the apples to the baking sheet, and bake for another 25 min, tossing once or twice. Let cool.

Cut the bread into chunks, again add to the baking sheet, and drizzle with some additional olive oil.



Put back in the oven, and bake for 10-12 min.


Now for the dressing:

1 t honey
1 t dijon mustard
pinches of salt, pepper, nutmeg
1/4 c pomegranate juice
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 olive oil
* this is triple the original recipe, except for the olive oil, which I left the same because I like my dressings more vinegar-y.

Add honey, mustard, spices, pomegranate juice, and vinegar to a bowl and whisk. Add in olive oil while constantly whisking.

Tadaa!!





No comments:

Post a Comment