Hi Fit Foodies,
I hope your week is going well? I posted a photo of this recipe up on my Instagram page with the promise of an accompanying post and here it is. You are most welcome! It’s a completely edible salad bowl with no clean up necessary, unless you’re a freak like me and put your bowl on a plate.
I’m completely in love with butternut squash; it’s my go to vegetable when I’m looking for something sturdy to flesh up my salads without the added carbs. It’s sweet just like sweet potato but it has a softer more “veggie” feeling to it. It’s long oval shape is typical of the squash family, which makes it the perfect size for a bowl. I like to roast my butternut squash with cinnamon, olive oil, chili and a little brown sugar to heighten its flavors. The chili is a gorgeous contrast to the sweet root and it adds an interesting and delicious element to its flavor profile. Roasted on it own butternut squash is great with a yogurt dip, or some good old guacamole.
In this bowl, I experimented with a grain called “Freekeh”, it was sent to me by earthfoods.me and its supposed to be wildly popular in the Middle east but obnoxious old me didn’t even realize it existed till I first tried to cook it, but NOW I see it on every menu, life. It’s a great gluten-free alternative for my celiac friends, and I cooked mine in the same way that you’d cook quinoa and I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The grain is light and slightly chewy but not in a rice-y way, it is more of a cross between couscous and quinoa.
Nonetheless, I’m not 100% sold on Freekeh so I won’t be sharing my recipe for it yet BUT, you can try my other salads to fill your up bowl; just leave space for some butternut squash. With these easy steps below, you are well on your way making your own scrumptious bowl. Don’t forget to send me pics, I’ve been absolutely loving the photos you guys send me of my recipes, so please keep ‘em coming.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon chilli, divided
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Cut the butternut squash in half crosswise. Set top half aside. Remove the seeds and strings from bottom half, then place the bottom half of squash on the baking sheet (cut a thin slice ff the bottom if needed, so it sits flat).
- Rub insides with ½ teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon pepper chili, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Bake until tender to touch, 60 – 80 minutes.
- Peel the skin of the other half and cut into cubes. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, chili and cinnamon mix as above. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes till tender, stir halfway through.
- Serve with a salad in Butternut Squash bowl. Enjoy.