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Top the salad with glazed pecans and pomegranate seeds for added sweetness.
Photo by Sarah Smith
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“Adventures in Veggieland,” by Melanie Potuck, is must read for parents with picky-eaters.
Courtesy of The Experiment Publishing
50 minutes DURATION
30 minutes COOK TIME
20 minutes PREP TIME
4 to 6 servings SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) packaged fresh butternut squash cubes or 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (60 g) raw pecan halves
- 3 cups (about 90 g) lettuce (spring mix or chopped butter lettuce is ideal)
- Pomegranate seeds
HOMEMADE DRESSING
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Toss the squash cubes with the coconut oil and salt and pepper on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy cleanup), leaving space between the cubes for even roasting.
- Roast the squash for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cubes are tender and browned on the edges. Remove the cubes from the pan and allow them to cool slightly.
- While the squash is roasting, toast and glaze the pecans. Make the glaze by mixing the brown sugar, water, and vanilla, stirring them together until the sugar is dissolved.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat (use a pan just big enough to hold the pecans in a single layer) and when the bottom is warm, add the pecans. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the brown sugar mixture and heat until the liquid is dissolved, leaving a glaze on the nuts. Place the nuts on parchment paper or a clean plate to cool. Do not touch the pecans until they have cooled—the glaze is very hot!
- To make the Homemade Dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small jar. Screw the lid on tightly. Wrap a few rubber bands around the glass jar to provide added grip. Parents, hand your kid the jar and tell them to shake it until the dressing has emulsified—that is, the oil and vinegar are completely mixed. Then tell them to keep shaking the jar. Inspect and tell them to shake it again. Continue until the child has worked up an appetite.
- Chop the glazed pecans. Toss the lettuce, squash, and pecans with the Homemade Dressing, just enough to coat lightly. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top and serve.
All Kids Can . . .
• Line the baking sheet with foil• Toss squash cubes in the oil and seasonings• Spread the squash on the baking sheet• Mix the glaze for the pecans• Chop the cooled pecans with a kid-safe knife• Put the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake!• Toss the salad • Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on topParenting in the Kitchen
For hesitant eaters, deconstruct the salad into small samples of squash, chopped pecans, lettuce, and pomegranate seeds, along with a small sample of dressing for dipping. Add one more sample of the constructed salad, where all the ingredients are mixed together with dressing. Use this technique whenever you meet resistance to unfamiliar combinations, to build confidence in your kids as they learn to adjust to the mixture of new foods.More from Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables?with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes:• Gruyere and Parsnip Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Recipe from Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables?with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes
Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables?with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes
