Over the past few months, baked squash has become my default weekend lunch. In past years, I've used up our weekly CSA allotment of squash in stuffed acorn squash, coconut squash rice, and baked barley risotto with butternut squash. But although Mike is extremely tolerant of my healthful, vegetable-based culinary efforts, he is not much of a squash fan (with the exception of Thai butternut squash soup). Since it just didn't seem fair to inflict months of squash entrees on him, I used up our CSA squash by making it for my lunches on the weekends. My method is simple: halve, seed, bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, spread with little butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and eat more squash in one sitting than I did in my entire childhood.
Although our CSA ended in mid-October, the squash obsession continued thanks to the Nicollet Mall farmer's market, with its piles of bargain priced, adorably lunch-sized butternut squashes. But after several weeks of baked-and-buttered squash, even I was starting to get sick of it. It was time for a change of pace, in the form of seasonal salad of arugula, seasoned squash, beans, and a Sriracha lime dressing. This slightly spicy, very citrusy dressing transforms squash from something that you're eating because it's good for you into something that you're eating because it tastes good.
If you'd like to save one of the servings for later, store all the components (dressing, arugula, squash, and beans) separately, and reheat the squash before serving.
Adapted from the Cookin' Canuck
Serves two as an entree
Ingredients:
Salad
- small butternut squash (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 5 ounce package (about 4 cups) arugula
- 3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- dash of salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place squash in an 8 x 8 baking dish. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper, and toss until evenly coated.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Meanwhile, whisk together lime juice, sriracha sauce, honey and dash of salt in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and whisk until combined.
Just before serving, place arugula in a large bowl and toss with prepared dressing. Serve black beans and prepared squash over the dressed arugula.
