Recipe: Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate

My gift to my family this year was a week's worth of vegetables, a lifetime supply of antioxidants, and vitamin A levels that are through the roof. 

(And fiber.  Lots and lots of fiber.)

All in the form of a nice compact, user-friendly salad. 

This, my friends, is the epitome of the "gift that keeps on giving". 

It will give you lower cholesterol.  It will give you a smaller waistline. It will give you orange skin (if you eat it for every meal for a month on end.  Which some may or may not be wont to do).  It will give you the ability to eat two slices of rainbow cookie cake for dessert without even a hint of guilt.  And it will probably give you superpowers.**

**Results are not typical. Individual responses may vary.

**I am not a doctor.  Take everything I say with at least five grains of salt.
 

That being said, when you pull it out at Christmas dinner, it will likely be met with a mixed bag of reactions.  Let me prepare you.


Your brother, when you try to (force)feed him a forkful of it, will likely make a face at at it.  He will likely accuse it of looking like Thanksgiving.

(???)

And then he will even more likely pick all of the pomegranate arils off the fork that you so carefully set on his plate.  And eat them.  Like candy.





Your mother, when she finds out it is vegan, will likely shriek in disbelief.

She will ask in horror if you are vegan. 

(Note that this is after you served the brie-stuffed puff pastry that you made as an appetizer.  And ate five hundred thousand pieces of fresh mozzarella that was bought specially from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.)

She will try to (force)feed YOU tomato sauce that was simmered for hours with large chunks of meat in it.  Proclaiming it to be vegetarian.

And then she will dutifully eat everything on her plate and even pack up a container of it to eat later this week.  (Success!!)

Your father will not even try it.  But he did glance at it a few hundred times.  Baby steps.



You will eat a larger than life bowl of it for dinner. 

Because not only is it the perfect mix of all your favorite fall vegetables and flavors, but it is also the only vegetarian option on the table.  (Regardless of what your mother says about that sauce.)

And because it's so darn good for you, you won't feel bad about eating the leftovers every.day.this.week.

The perfect combination of rainbow cookie cake detox food and holiday fare.  Right here.  Priceless. 



Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate
Serves 8-10, adapted from The Taste Space

Ingredients

For the butternut squash:

• 1 medium butternut squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• a few pinches of sea salt

For the kale:

• 1 bunch kale, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• pinch of sea salt
 

For the salad:

• 1 pomegranate's worth of pomegranate arils
• 1 lb brussels sprouts, halved and roasted at 400 for 15 minutes
• 1 cup wheatberries, soaked overnight and simmered for 1 hour
• 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and simmered for 30-40 minutes or until tender

For the dressing (adapted from Closet Cooking):

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 3 teaspoon dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  In a medium bowl, combine butternut squash cubes with the oil, minced garlic and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Roast until fork-tender, but not falling apart (around 30-40 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, mix the kale, lemon juice and salt with your hands, massaging it together. It should wilt into half its volume after 3 minutes or so.
3. Make dressing by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and dijon together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. When the butternut squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Add to the kale, along with the pomegranate arils, Brussels sprouts, wheat berries, and chickpeas and gently toss together. Toss with the dressing.  Season to taste.

I am submitting this to Souper Sundays, hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.