Roasted Squash, Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Salad

Culinary Crafts by Brooke and Maxx is up and running once again.  This past weekend was spent engaged in much slicing, dicing, stirring, and sampling in the kitchen together.  While the both of us are devoted dessert die-hards, we tend towards eating healthier for the remaining picture of what makes up each of our diets.  Thus, this salad was the decided upon entrée for our lunch this past Sunday.

I know, I know, winter and cold weather typically call for all things comfort.  Homey and delicious.  Salads are for summer time, right?  Not this one though.  This salad in particular is just that.  Warm, comforting, and totally hits the spot.  Its also easy to make, really heathy, and quite light.  Throw this one together for a filling, satisfying and super yummy lunch or dinner.

As a fun side note, dinner, while sadly not pictured, nor featured on this blog as it doesn’t fit in with the Sweet. Raw. Free. stipulations, was a mouthwatering meal to be sure.  Black bean, cheese and sweet potato enchiladas.  The red sauce, homemade by Maxx, over the course of more than one hour.  Involving the de-seeding of each pepper, roasting them in a frying pan.  Slicing and dicing vegetables.  Stirring them together in a sauce.  Emulsifying in a food processor.  And finally, cooking all of it in oil to finish things off with a smoked flavor.

To say the least, the sauce was mind-blowing.  Eliciting majorly rave reviews and multiple enthusiastic comments from myself, my mom, and her friend, Dan while we all chowed down on Sunday night.

Dessert was an icebox cake.  Gingersnaps, layered with a mascarpone whipped lavender and honey cream (made from scratch, by yours truly).  Stirred together with blackberries.  The whole cake topped with blueberries and homemade “healthy” gingerbread chunks.  Also receiving rave reviews from all those present.  The entire cake, demolished that evening save for one solitary slice which my mom set aside for her lunch the next day.

The two culinary crafters in the flesh 😉

 

Without further ado though, here’s the recipe for our squash, goat cheese and pomegranate salad

Ingredients

1 acorn squash, sliced

A sprinkling of turmeric

2-3 cups baby arugula

4 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Arils from 1 pomegranate

A dash or two of fennel seeds

 

For the dressing

1/4 cup tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1.5 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon orange zest

Black pepper & salt, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, place the sliced squash.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with turmeric, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.  Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes.  Once a fork goes into the squash easily, its done.  Remove from oven.
3. To make the dressing: combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, thyme, orange zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
4. Add the arugula to a large salad bowl and top with the roasted squash. Crumble the goat cheese overtop, shake on a few more fennel seeds, and sprinkle with pomegranate arils.  Drizzle with the dressing. Enjoy!