I’ve been staring at this squash for a couple of weeks. It’s been sitting on the kitchen window sill to ripen. My husband picked it up. I’ve never had this kind of squash before. I didn’t know what to do with it. How can I create a recipe when I have no idea what the main ingredient tastes like?
I realized I was making this much harder than it had to be. It’s a squash, for crying out loud. How hard can it be? I know it’s going to be sweet and a bit smoky if I roast it in the oven.
Then my husband came home with a bag of toasted buckwheat. Cool. Saves me the trouble of toasting it myself. My eyes started darting back and forth between the squash and the buckwheat. Squash. Buckwheat. Squash. Buckwheat. The rusty wheels in my brain started turning….
But should I make something sweet or savory? How about both? While planning a different recipe, I was going to use honey Dijon dressing, so why not use it here instead? Could be interesting with the buckwheat.
I started pulling things out of the fridge trying to decide what else I could use and whether this should be a main dish, a side, an appetizer. Ahhh. Found a bag of fresh arugula. Salad it is. But should it be warm or chilled? Doesn’t matter. This will be great either way. The idea was fully hatched. I dived into the kitchen and started making a mess.
I plated up a mini portion and asked my husband to taste it. I can tell when I’ve hit on something special by observing his reaction. He doesn’t just say, “Oh yeah, this is really good.” Instead, his eyebrows rise up to his hair line, he gets that excited expression kids do when opening Christmas presents, and just keeps shoveling in one fork full after the other. Nailed it!
For those following Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat To Live weight loss program, this recipe contains small amounts of oil, agave/honey, and salt. Personally, this did not affect weight loss for me, but if you have trouble losing weight, you might want to hold off with the recipe until you are on the life plan.
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 kabocha squash
1 cup toasted buckwheat groats (or plain groats toasted in a skillet, see below)
4 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
4 – 6 cups arugula
Dressing Ingredients
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey for vegetarians)
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place toasted buckwheat in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt (optional). (If using regular buckwheat, place them in a non-stick skillet over low heat. Stir them constantly until they turn golden brown, making sure not to burn them.) Bring water and buckwheat to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 – 20 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest. (This will make a bit more buckwheat than is needed for this recipe. Store extra in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.)
3. Cut the squash by making a slice all the way down on opposite sides of the stem, trim off the bottom, and pull the squash in half. Remove the stem by making a V-shaped cut around it and pulling it off. Remove the seeds with a sharp-edged spoon. Cut the squash into 32 slices. Lightly dust 2 baking sheets with a thin layer of cooking oil spray (I used coconut oil). Arrange slices on trays so they don’t overlap. Spray a very light layer of cooking oil over slices. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes until fully cooked. (Note: I cook the squash with the skin on as I think it’s easier to simply cut it away after the squash is cooked. You can peel the entire squash before baking if desired. This will slightly reduce baking time, so watch it to prevent burning.)
4. Make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a well-sealed jar. Shake until all ingredients are mixed. The honey tends to stick to the bottom, so keep shaking until it’s completely mixed in.
5. When squash is cooked, remove skin and cut into ½ inch pieces.
6. Place 2 cups of cooked buckwheat in a mixing bowl. Pour in ¼ cup of the dressing and mix well so all buckwheat is lightly coated with dressing.
7. Arrange 1+ cup of arugula on each of 4 serving dishes. Spread a layer of buckwheat over the arugula. Arrange ¼ of the cubed squash on each plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries over each plate. Drizzle extra dressing over the top.
8. This may be served with the squash and arugula either warm or chilled.
Choc Chip Uru says
This salad looks very wholesome and healthy at the same time, I like the idea of adding cranberry sweetness! 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted…Frazzled
Amy says
Thanks for stopping by, Urvashi!