top of page
brickyardfarms

Opposites Attract

“I just don’t have the time!”  The lament of so many busy people.  Yet, what are we spending our time on?  The average American spends 4-6 hours per day in front of the television; not to mention, computers, games and phones.  Ok, I do like my techno gadgets, but I love good, wholesome food more.

Cooking has become a spectator sport.  We love to watch, but don’t participate.  But I’m here to tell you, cooking can be fun, entertaining and therapeutic.  Get everyone into the act.  I call my family and friends who want to help in the kitchen: “my sous.”  We laugh, we joke and above all we eat well.  We manage to find time for the things that are important to us.  There are so many meals that simply don’t take a lot of time.  Soups, stews, salads can all be eaten for multiple days, or frozen for future use.  In the time it takes to have a pizza delivered you can have a healthy meal on the table.

In the winter there is sometimes an absence of the type of salads that I enjoyed during the growing season.  I found that if you eat seasonally and try putting some unexpected ingredients together, you are often pleasantly surprised.  In my last post, I used roasted pears as a garnish on my butternut squash soup.  A few days later, I tried the same pairing in a different way in a salad and the results were yumbo-yummy!  Although the dressing is not strictly Paleo, I took creative license for the flavor I was looking for; see what you think…


FullSizeRender (1)

Roasted Winter Salad with Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette:

  1. 4 cups butternut squash, cubed in 3/4 inch dice

  2. 3 Bosch pears, cored, seeded and sliced in 6ths

  3. 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

  4. 2 cups fresh kale, torn in bite-sized pieces

  5. 2 cups fresh spinach, torn in bite-sized pieces

  6. 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

  7. 1/4 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped

  8. 1/2 cup fresh local feta, crumbled

  9. 1 recipe Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

  10. Preheat oven to 450 F.  Position rack in center of oven.  In a large bowl, combine squash and pear slices with olive oil.  Toss well and transfer in a single layer to a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with a little Kosher salt.  Roast, flipping with a spatula halfway through and rotating the pan until they are soft and caramelized; approximately 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

  11. Toss the greens with 2 Tbsp of the warm vinaigrette, salt and place on a platter or individual plates. Scatter the squash cubes and pear slices on top, then sprinkle with almonds, tart cherries and feta.  Pass extra dressing.

Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette:

  1. 1/4 cup grapeseed oil (non-Paleo)

  2. 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots

  3. 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger

  4. 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

  5. 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

  6. 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

  7. 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

  8. 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  9. 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

  10. Freshly ground black pepper

  11. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and a little salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.  Remove from heat.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

  12. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, whisk the vinegar, maple syrup, lime juice and zest, mustard, and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  Whisk the warm oil into the vinegar mixture until emulsified.  Season to taste with more juice, salt or pepper.

Serve 2 as a main, 4 as a side


Proof that salads can be fresh and roasted.  Opposites attract!

Proof that salads can be fresh and roasted. Opposites attract!


“Remember….even small changes can make a difference!”

2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page