Butternut Sqaush Salad with Homemade Vinnaigrette

  My sister, Melanie, made this salad for me when I visited her in New York over my fall break last semester. It was literally one of the best salads I had ever had. Everything about it was just exceptional. It hit all the right buds. Thankfully my sisters also have a food blog called Dinner Sisters, and I was able to get a hold of her outstanding recipe pretty easily (and you can too! via my blog and not there's...pity me I have less followers...). Both of my sisters are pretty great at the whole savory, healthy, real food kind of thing. I can't deny that most of my food is even remotely healthy, especially since its almost always a baked good.  And whats even more pathetic is that this salad was actually the first salad I have made 100% from scratch (dressing and all). Thankfully its pretty easy and doesn't make that big of a mess to prepare (the exception I think being the roasted squash and walnuts).

So in conclusion, this is the only salad and dressing recipe I will ever need. I might toss one with a little protein into my repertoire but for now this is it. (until I learn to make the dressing for the avocado salad from Red Bowl because that salad is the jaaammm)


Butternut Squash Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette
*Butternut Squash, cubed and Roasted
Crumbled Goat cheese (the best cheese in the world)
Craisins
*Candied Walnuts
Bag of fresh Baby Spinach

 *Homemade Vinaigrette

Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Cubed Butternut Squash (can be purchased pre-cubed in your groceries frozen vegetables section)

about 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
and about 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup (use your best judgement)
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss the cubed squash together with the other ingredients so that they are well covered. Pour the squash onto greased tin foil or a silpat (if you don't grease it they stick). Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the cubes are nice and brown.

Candied Walnuts

Ingredients 

½ cup walnuts

2 ½ tablespoons of butter

¼ cup light brown sugar

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, start by melting the butter and brown sugar. Then add the walnuts. When the walnuts look completed glazed and the mixture gets slightly darker, pour the nuts onto waxed paper and let them cool completely.

Homemade Vinaigrette
Ingredients

2 tablespoons honey

1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

 ½ teaspoons salt

 ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

 5 tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

Briskly whisk or shake all of your ingredients together and you’re finished. Pretty simple. It might help to slightly warm the honey in the microwave first but it’s not entirely necessary.