Fall Butternut Squash Salad

 

Image Credits: CookingClassy.com and diet hood.com

My sister Mary Kay found this recipe.  Her garden seems to grow an abundance of butternut squash, so she's rather an expert in how to use it!  This salad is beautiful and delicious. Once I had it, the cravings began! The maple roasted butternut squash makes it very filling (well, you may still need something extra if you have hungry male teenagers at home!).

Salad Ingredients:

Roasted butternut squash and red onions (see note) 

Cheese: feta, goat cheese, parm cheese,  or Jarlsberg/swiss cheese

Roasted pecans or salted pistachios

craisins

Optional add ins: apples, pumpkin seeds, quinoa

-Butternut Squash preparation:  Peel butternut.  Cut in half.  Clean out seeds and insides.  Chop into cubes.  Place cubes on baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast 425 for 10-15 minutes until butternut starts to brown (don't overcook or squash gets mushy and doesn't hold shape in salad).  Once cooled down slightly add to the rest of the salad ingredients.

Image Credit: Downshiftology.com

Apple Cider Vinaigrette (from downshiftology.com)

1/3 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 TBS honey

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar (or balsamic or red wine vinegar)

1/4 c. honey

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

Spinach Apple Pomegranate Salad

 

Image Credit: Countryside Cravings

This salad combination came from a restaurant called Carvers that I remember going to once in my college years.  This is a beautiful fall recipe with the apples and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients:

Spinach

sliced apple (recommend honey crisp or cosmic crisp)

pomegranate seeds

craisins

feta or blue cheese

toasted pecans

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar (or balsamic or red wine vinegar)

1/4 c. honey

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

This is a salad I've created after eating many similar salads at restaurants. You can use any sort of sweet berry-like dressing, or you can try my dressing recipe below. You'll find I tend to make my own salad dressings. They are so easy and you don't have extra preservatives...

Spinach (can use other lettuces too)
craisins or fresh pomegranate seeds
diced apple or firm pears or apples
crumbled blue cheese (can use feta, but I prefer blue cheese for this)
sliced radishes (optional)
sugared or toasted pecans (every salad needs a crunch!)

Pomegranate Dressing:
1/4 c. pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. light olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
14 grinds fresh pepper
1 TBS white sugar

-Note: Cuisine Perel sells many different kinds of specialty vinegars. It is a bit expensive, but you can make a lot of dressing from one bottle (and I think it's worth it!).