When we remodeled our house four years ago, I dedicated a large kitchen cabinet for cookbooks. At the time, my collection all but filled the space. Over the last few years, my obsession with buying cookbooks and food magazines has the cabinet bulging at the seams. Many of the books get a quick look and become lost in the collection. Others keep my attention and end up with dog-eared pages and grease spots.
We were in New York for a wedding last year around Christmas. We made a stop in Eataly, the Italian food superstore, where my inner child’s eyes widened like the proverbial kid in a toy store. Jim quickly spotted the twinkle in my eye and put the kibosh on my spending impulses.
I did manage to make it out of there with a fine bottle of olive oil and a cookbook, though. Salad for Dinner is a beautifully photographed book by Jeanne Kelley featuring complete meals for all season . For today’s post, I made Jeanne’s Roasted Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Quinoa, Pepitas, and Pomegranates.
Salads are a regular part of our diet, and this book is a great resource for eating seasonally and creating salads that are a complete meal. This satisfying, fall salad is not only beautiful on the plate, but it’s equally delicious.
Slightly modified from Salad for Dinner by Jeanne Kelley
Ingredients
1/4 cup minced shallot
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup quinoa
1 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 (1- to 1 1/4-pound) acorn squash, cut into 16 wedges
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Whisk the shallot, oil, vinegar, pomegranate molasses (or maple syrup), garlic, and salt together in a small bowl until well combined.
1. Bring the stock to boil and add quinoa. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes until liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place cut side down on baking sheet. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, coriander, allspice, paprika, and salt. Place on another baking sheet. Transfer baking sheets to oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes or until Brussels sprouts and squash are browned and tender, remove from oven.
3. Stir parsley, toasted pepitas, and 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into the quinoa. Divide the quinoa among 4 plates.
4. Return the Brussels sprouts to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Divide Brussels sprouts and squash wedges among plates, placing them on top of quinoa. Top salads with pomegranate seeds and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately.
https://southernboydishes.com/2015/10/08/roasted-acorn-squash-and-brussels-sprouts-salad/You may also like:
- Roasted Cauliflower and Fennel Soup - November 8, 2015
- Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili{+ a Cookbook Giveaway} - October 27, 2015
- Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Stew with Turkey Sausage - October 16, 2015
I made this dish on Friday. I absolutely loved it and am making it again later next week. I am terrible at following directions, but I think my end result looked very much like the picture. My modification was to use a heavy hand with the pumpkin seeds, and to make the vinaigrette using my small food processor (less chopping of ingredients that make me cry). I am on the lookout for more recipes using acorn squash – this was a first time for me and I have to say I like it better than butternut squash. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment, Heather! If you like the salad, check out this recipe.
https://southernboydishes.com/2013/11/29/stuffed-acorn-squash-with-chicken-farro-cranberries-and-kale/
It’s one of my favorites.
looks great. i will definitely try this out!
Thank you! I appreciate you dropping by!
With gorgeous ingredients salads are a delight to the eyes as well as the taste buds. GREG
This sounds wonderful – perfect for fall, and your photos are truly enticing. I certainly can relate to the bulging cookbook cabinet. The volumes are piled by my bed. They are in book bags. They are even on the patio and on the kitchen counter. And fo course there is always one in the back seat of the car, just in case I have to wait somewhere while I am out and about. And this is after culling through my collection in preparation for our own home remodel. Do you suppose there is a “Cookbook Collectors Anonymous” we could join? I do so love poring over the books. Unfortunately I never seem to really find the time to cook from all of them. This book sounds wonderful. Maybe I will check it out of the library…
Hi Jim — this photo took my breath away and I had to follow up by reading every word of your post! Love the concept of “salad for dinner” and am now motivated to look up that book in my local bookshop. Am also motivated to prepare this gorgeous dish for our Canadian Thanksgiving table (fyi: Thanksgiving is this week-end on the Canadian calendar!). I’ve enjoyed exploring your blog via the alerts I receive from Google+. Thanks again, H.
Thank so much for the comment, Helene! I really appreciate you dropping by SBD. I have a good Canadian friend who’s having us over for a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. Happy Thanksgiving to you!