I’m eating like it’s my job lately because well…it sort of is my job. I’m a fitness and yoga instructor, and I currently assist teaching culinary classes at Sur La Table. I love food! Thankfully, I’m inspired by wholesome, healthy, and nutritious ingredients. Lately, I’m excited about seasonal flavors too, which is why I’ve played with several creations around fall flavors like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, & nutmeg. This particular spice from Healthy on You, which I’ve mentioned before in the Sweet, Spicy & Citrus Carrots recipe is called “Spice Spice Baby” with a blend of anise, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and ginger.
My fall harvest salad was also inspired by finding delicata squash in the grocery store recently. This recipe is a beautiful blend of heart-healthy fruit, veggies, nuts, protein & carbohydrates bursting with sweet/tart, salty, and spicy flavor. Jump to recipe. Delicata squash is a winter squash known for it’s striped exterior, bright orange interior, and as the name suggests, a delicate, edible skin. This makes it easier to prepare and tender when cooked.
I’ve made this salad several times now with a little variation on the ingredients, and always find it to be delish and nourishing. Some of the many health benefits include:
Nutrient & Fiber Rich:
The vitamins, minerals and micronutrients contained in 1 cup of delicata squash are:
Vitamin C: 16% of your Daily Value (DV)
Vitamin B6: 11% DV
Potassium: 9% DV
Vitamin A: 9% DV
Manganese: 8% DV
Folate (B9): 7% DV
Riboflavin (B2): 6% DV
Magnesium: 4% DV
Iron: 4% DV
Thiamin (B1): 3% DV
Thiamin (B1): 3% DV
Calcium: 2% DV
Phosphorus: 2% DV
Zinc: 2% DV
Selenium: 1% DV
This is also a low-calorie, low fat food with only 0.2 grams of total fat, and about 10 grams of carbohydrates.
Hearty & Healthy Fats:
I used rosemary walnuts in my salad from the bulk section of my grocery store (Sprouts). One ounce of walnuts provides nearly 50% of your daily target for manganese. Manganese supports healthy bones and is needed for collagen production and wound healing! Walnuts are also an abundant source of polyunsaturated fat and alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, is a type of omega-3 fatty acid known to reduce inflammation.
Improved Gut & Brain Health:
Apples – such a simple food with so many varieties from sweet like red delicious, gala, or honeycrisp to tangy green like granny smith. Then there are the health advantages such as:
Low calorie, high fiber and loaded with vitamins and minerals such as:
Vitamin C: 10% of the Daily Value (DV)
Copper: 6% of the DV
Potassium: 5% of the DV
Vitamin K: 4% of the DV
Provides 2–5%Trusted Source of the DV for vitamins E, B1, and B6.
Contains Polyphenols, a plant compound when consumed can boost digestion, brain health, protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even certain cancers.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Salad
· 1 small delicata squash
· ½ bunch of lacinato (sometimes called Tuscan or Dinosaur kale)
· ½ bunch baby spinach
· ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
· ½ diced granny smith apple (could use any apple depending on preference)
· ¼ cup rosemary walnuts (roughly chopped)
Dressing
· 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 Tbs organic apple cider vinegar
· 1 tsp Dijon mustard
· 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
· Kosher salt & black pepper
Instructions:
1.) Preheat oven to 425°F; wash delicata squash (no need to peel as the skin is edible), cut off both ends, and slice in middle, scoop out seeds, and then slice into 2” pieces; drizzle with olive oil, - and this is where you sprinkle the Healthy on You ‘Spice Spice Baby” seasoning, add a little salt and pepper, toss to coat, and single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; transfer to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until squash is tender and golden brown.
2.) Pull kale leaves from stems, slice into smaller pieces, then wash/rinse and massage with olive oil (to relax), wash baby spinach, bundle, and chop; dice apple into small bite-sized pieces. Remove squash from oven, cool for 10 minutes, and slice into small bite sized pieces
3.) Mix kale, spinach, squash, apples, toasted pumpkin seeds, and walnuts into salad bowl
4.) Create dressing: combine EVVO, apple cider vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt & pepper in shaker
5.) Drizzle dressing over yummy hearty salad & savor!