Roasted Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Winter Salad
Cuisine: Salad
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • Salad
  • 1 butternut squash (peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes)
  • 1.5 cups of dry quinoa (cooked as per package instructions)
  • 3 cups of packed arugula
  • ⅓ cup of dried cranberries (or pomegranates for a lower sugar option)
  • ⅓ cup of toasted pumpkin seeds
  • ⅓ cup of diced scallions
  • ⅓ cup crumbled goats cheese (optional)
  • Dressing
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of chili powder
  • Salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 F. Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes (turning once half way through) or until golden brown.
  2. Meanwhile cook quinoa as per package instructions (usually this will be 1:2 ratio of quinoa: water for 15 minutes)
  3. For dressing add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake away. *
  4. Once the butternut squash is done roasting, combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl (except for cheese) and let cool in the fridge. **
  5. When your salad has reached room temperature toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Finish off by adding crumbled goats cheese, then you are ready to serve.
Notes
*this is my favourite way to make salad dressing. There is no mess with trying to stir your ingredients together and you already have your dressing in a container to be stored in, if there are any leftovers.
**from experience I find most grain salads are best dressed when they are either room temperature or cold.

Further Information can be found:
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whats-whole-grain-refined-grain
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/whole-grain-entiers-eng.php
Recipe by Crystal Higgins at https://crystalhiggins.com/whole-grains-to-the-rescue/