Recipe: Roasted Butternut and Apple Salad on Bitter Greens with Honeyed Red-Wine Vinaigrette

ROASTED BUTTERNUT AND APPLE SALAD ON A BED OF BITTER GREENS WITH HONEYED RED-WINE VINAIGRETTE

1 large butternut squash, about 1 pound, halved, seeded, and peeled
Cooking spray (optional)
2 teaspoons tamari or shoyu soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
About 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Honeyed Red-Wine Vinaigrette (recipes follows)
8 to 10 cups assorted salad greens, half mild (oakleaf, romaine, and/or Boston lettuces) and half bitter or pungent (arugula, watercress, curly endive), well washed and dried
1 to 2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped medium-fine
1 sweet, crisp apple, such as Galla, peel on, diced into 1/3 inch pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, or chopped, toasted pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds, or - best yet - tamari-roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place 4 to 6 salad plates in the freezer to chill.

Cut the peeled squash into 1/2-inch dice. Place the cut-up butternut squash on a large nonstick baking sheet or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Toss the squash with the soy sauce and oil.

Bake until the squash pieces are lightly browned, slightly shriveled-looking and semi-crisp on the outside and barely tender all the way through, 20 to 30 minutes. The squash should definitely keep its shape.

Remove the squash from the oven, keeping the oven on. Immediately drizzle a little honey over the squash, toss and return to the oven. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until the squash is all browned. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

As the squash bakes, make the vinaigrette (recipe follows). Up to this point the recipe can be done in advance.

WHEN READY TO SERVE:
Toss the salad greens and cabbage with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Toss in the roasted squash (warmed slightly if desired), cilantro and apple. Taste; add more dressing if needed. Divide the salad among the chilled plates and top each with a scattering of the toasted nuts or sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately; it doesn't wait once it's been tossed. Pass additional vinaigrette at the table.

HONEYED RED-WINE VINAIGRETTE
Makes about 1 2/3 cups

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari or shoyu soy sauce
3 to 4 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 solid grinds black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons honey, or, for vegans, sugar or Rapidura

Combine the vinegar, tamari, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. Start the machine buzzing, and gradually, through the hole in the pusher-tube, drizzle in the oil. Remove pusher-tube, and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 2 tablespoons honey. Stop the machine. Taste, and if you feel the dressing should be sweeter, add the remaining tablespoon of honey.

Makes 4-6 servings
Source: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon