Roasted Butternut and Apple Salad

Roasted Butternut and Apple Salad
on a Bed of Bitter Greens

Serves 4 to 6

1 large butternut squash, about 1 pound, halved,
     seeded, and peeled
Cooking spray (optional)
2 teaspoons tamari or shoyu soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
About 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
Honeyed Red-Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
8 to 10 cups assorted salad greens, half mild (oakleaf, romaine,
     and/or Boston lettuces) and half bitter or pungent
     (arugula, watercress, curly endive), well washed and dried
1 to 2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped medium-fine
1 sweet, crisp apple, such as Galla, peel on, diced into 1/3 inch pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, or chopped, toasted pecans,
     toasted pumpkin seeds, or—best yet— tamari-roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

1—Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2—Place 4 to 6 salad plates in the freezer to chill.

3—Cut the peeled squash into 1/2-inch dice. Place the cut-up butternut squash on a large nonstick baking sheet or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Toss the squash with the soy sauce and oil and bake until the squash pieces are lightly browned, slightly shriveled-looking and semicrisp on the outside and barely tender all the way through, 20 to 30 minutes. The squash should definitely keep its shape. Remove the squash from the oven, keeping the oven on. Immediately drizzle a little honey over the squash, toss and return to the oven. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until the squash is all browned. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

Honeyed Red-Wine Vinaigrette

Makes about 1-2/3 cups

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari or shoyu soy sauce
3 to 4 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 solid grinds black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons honey, or, for vegans, sugar or Rapidura

Combine the vinegar, tamari, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. Start the machine buzzing, and gradually, through the hole in the pusher-tube, drizzle in the oil. Remove pusher-tube, and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 2 tablespoons honey. Stop the machine. Taste, and if you feel the dressing should be sweeter, add the remaining tablespoon of honey.

Buy the Book!

from:
Passionate Vegetarian
Crescent Dragonwagon
Workman Publishing
$24.95 (U.S.) paperback
ISBN: 1563057115
Recipe reprinted by permission.