it's been awhile. no big reason for my hiatus...just found other ways to spend my time. but i'm feeling inspired again. here we are again near the beginning of winter. i'm not a fan of cold weather, but i am a big fan of winter veggies, i.e. squash, root vegetables, greens. a few nights ago i was looking at a butternut squash, wanting to come up with some different way to prepare it. soups are good, but i've already been eating a lot of soup and it's still not technically winter yet. so i decided to go more for a dish that can either be a main course or side dish, with big chunks of roasted squash, chick peas, and avocado all tossed together with a chili lime dressing. the result was absolutely delicious. this would be the perfect dish for a holiday pot luck because i think it is best eaten at room temperature. plus it's full of gorgeous mouthwatering colors. yum, i can't wait to make it again.
this makes about 4-5 main dish servings
1-1/2 lb to 2 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced into 3/4 in pieces
1 red onion, sliced thinly (about 1/8 in thick)
1 can of chick peas (or about 3/4 cup dried chick peas, cooked)
couple tablespoons balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1-1/2 to 2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
hot sauce (i use sriracha)
juice of 1 lime
1/3-1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
1 avocado, diced
salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Toss red onion slices with 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil
- Toss butternut squash pieces with a drizzle of olive oil
- In separate dishes, roast the squash and onion (the squash takes about 30 min and the onions about 15-20 min.)
- heat a small skillet, and dry roast the cumin. you have to watch it carefully because it will burn easily. either stir or shake the skillet while roasting. it usually takes only a minute or so, but is worth it to get the best flavor from the cumin. add the chili power and dry roast for another fifteen seconds or so.
- mix together lime juice, a few tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, chili powder, and hot sauce to taste
- stir together squash, onions, chick peas, almonds, avocado and mix in the dressing
- serve room temperature. i also toasted some pita wedges to eat with it.
