Autumn salad

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have lovely plans for the weekend. We have two football games, family photos (yippee!) and then I’m off to California sans the kiddos – eek! No C’s picks this week as I won’t be cooking most nights, but ALFS will keep moving along next week so be sure to check back in. 

In the meantime, let’s talk about this Autumn salad for a moment. First of all, so pretty! And festive! And fall-ish! Second, you get to roast and caramelize acorn squash which doesn’t really happen at any other point in the year so you feel super seasonal which is always fun. The original recipe called to serve with pomegranate seeds which would be so delicious too but the store I had didn’t have any one hand so I swapped out for cranberries. I also toasted up the pecans with a little brown sugar which totally hit the spot. Everything was then tossed lightly together with a pomegranate vinaigrette and the result…?

….Well, not a morsel was left. Get it on your table, this weekend. 

AUTUMN SALAD
Recipe adapted from One Sweet Eats

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 acorn squash, sliced in 1/2-inch thick rounds and seeds removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepped
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup whole pecans, chopped up
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon)
6 cups baby arugula
1 avocado, sliced
1 pomegranate, arils removed
1 seedless cucumber, sliced

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:

1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add coconut oil. Cover the squash slices with salt and pepper, then add them to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. You can add the brown sugar to help the squash caramelize, which I totally did. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add the pecans. Toast until they are slightly golden and fragrant, stirring and shaking the pan as they toast, for about 5 minutes. (I threw in a little brown sugar too) Toss them with the pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon if using.

Add the arugula to a large bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the avocado, pomegranate arils, cucumber, pecans and squash pieces.

Meanwhile, make dressing. Combine pomegranate juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk together. Pour in the olive oil while constantly whisking until the dressing comes together. Pour over the salad and lightly toss together.

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Courtney

Courtney is a wife to M and a mom of two boys, L (8) and B (3). Most of her blogging is done frantically during nap time in between laundry, cleaning, and the occasional housewives rerun. Or the brief hour or so that she can stay awake after the boys go down for the night. She loves her sleep. Read more...

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