Roasted Butternut and Brussel Sprout Salad

Combining two simple ingredients and a new dressing flavor transforms the original vegetables into something new and delicious. This creamy dressing avoids some of the common food allergies, but not a tree nut allergy. The dates, while sweet, are a very healthy sweetener.

Ingredients:

 1 lb. Brussels Sprouts, halved and roasted (see post from 10/31/23)

 4 cups Butternut Squash, roasted

o 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

o 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

o 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

o 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 Almond-Date Dressing

o 3 Tbsp butter or oil

o 4 Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

o 1/2 c toasted almonds

o 1/4 c sherry vinegar

o 3 Tbsp olive oil (or other)

o 3/4 tsp kosher salt

o 1/2 tsp pepper

Method:

Prepare Almond-Date Dressing.

 Brown butter over medium heat (about 3 minutes). Let cool.

 In blender or food processor, process dates, almonds and vinegar to coarse paste.

 Drizzle in butter, oil, 1/2 c water, salt, and pepper.

 Blend in 1-2 Tbsp more water if needed to thin.

 Set aside

Prepare roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prepare roasted Butternut Squash.

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange oven racks so that one is in the upper third of oven and the other is in the lower third.

 Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.

 Peel and seed the butternut squash. Chop it into 1-inch cubes.

 Place squash on the baking sheets. Do not crowd the pieces.

 In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the squash. Use your hands to toss until the squash is evenly coated.

 Spread the squash out on the pans so that it is in a single layer.

 Bake squash in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

 Use a spatula to flip the squash and then rotate the pans top to bottom in the oven.

 Bake for 15-20 minutes more, until squash is soft and lightly browned on the edges.

 Check squash at 20 minutes total baking time. Some squash roast faster than others.

Assembling:

 Gently mix roasted squash and Brussels Sprouts together.

 Place on platter or large shallow bowl.

 Either drizzle Almond-Date Dressing over the salad or mix dressing to taste through the dish.

Notes and Options:

For the dressing, you can use other dates. They should be moist and weigh about 3 ounces. I have used 8 of a smaller variety.

If you prefer to avoid butter, choose your favorite oil to replace it. Make sure to add it to the remaining oil. If you want a little more tang in the taste of the dressing, add a little more vinegar.

The dressing lasts for several weeks in the refrigerator. It’s delicious on strong greens, squash, and green beans as well.

Fresh spinach, chopped, is a good addition to the squash and Brussels sprouts.

Drizzling the oil on the squash directly on the baking sheet and sprinkling with salt and pepper beforetossing together also works well.

A f ew toasted almond slices tossed over the assembled dish makes a nice finish.