Fall-Inspired Harvest Salad Bowl

We tend to think of salads as summer fare. But, when the right combination of ingredients come together, salads can be hearty, comforting dishes that fit right in during the cooler months, too.

Perfectly roasted squash shines in this salad. And, I've brought together a blend of bulgur and red quinoa for a great textural element here. Crisp apple slices and several other amazing add-ins make this one over-the-top salad. Of course, some sliced, grilled chicken would be fabulous in this salad if you're so inclined.

Serves 4.

Autumn-Spiced Roasted Acorn Squash

One of the ingredients during fall that I cherish most is acorn squash. Of course, I relish all things pumpkin and apples during these autumn months. But, I find the simplicity of roasting acorn - or even butternut - squash this time of year to be something quite special.

One of my family's favorite ways to prepare acorn squash is to cut it in half and roast it with a little butter, nutmeg, salt, pepper and maple syrup. My Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash is always a hit and everyone loves grabbing a spoon and diving in to their own personal serving.

But, we, also, love it cut into slivers and roasted with various spice combinations and toppings. For this recipe, pumpkin pie-style spices get sprinkled onto olive oil-coated acorn squash wedges that get roasted to perfection and drizzled with a little real maple syrup. The crunch of a few toasted pumpkin seeds as garnish add a nice textural component.

This would be a beautiful and delicious addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table. The squash gets tender on the inside while taking on a slight char around the outer edges (my favorite part). The spices add a touch of warmth that definitely are reminiscent of the flavors associated with fall. And, the slightly-reduced pure maple syrup contributes just the perfect amount of sweetness.

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

 

I was home alone.  The kids were at school.

I kept walking past the two beautiful acorn squash (or is it squashes ... wait - that looks weird ... pretty sure it's squash) that were hanging out on my counter.

When I bought them the other day, I didn't have any specific plans for them.  They just looked so splendid sitting there at the grocery store and they called out to me to bring them home.  I responded by having the kids put them in the cart.

Not knowing if the kids would even eat them, I decided to cut one up and make it for myself for lunch while they were away.  (Moms need to eat, too!)

Sunny Anderson and The Pioneer Woman both have some tasty-sounding recipes for these green and orange beauties.  So, I prepared mine using a combination of the two recipes.

Once baked, the squash can be served as-is ... a cute little acorn squash "bowl" that begs for you to eat it by the spoonful as you scrap the flesh off of the skin while scooping up some of the buttery, sugary basting liquid.  (I think that was a major run-on right there, huh?)  Your other option is to scoop out all of the flesh (with the liquid) into a bowl or casserole dish, mash it all up like you would mashed potatoes and serve it that way.  (That route can, also, be done in advance and the squash reheated when ready to serve.)

For me, personally, I like individual things.  I like my own squash half and the experience of scraping the insides out by myself by the spoonful ... bite-after-lovely-bite.  But, you're a big kid.  Do what ya want!  I promise it'll be wonderful either way!

Most recipes call for two whole acorn squash and serve 4 people.  I cut the recipe in half since I only was making one squash.  The recipe below is written using 2 squash, however.  If you're only using one squash, you'll need to halve the recipe below.