Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Roasted squash salad with tahini

Roasted squash salad with tahini

My husband thinks I’m funny. He tells me that all the time – maybe I am. I find it a good thing, actually.
One of the things that make him laugh is when I almost scream “God I gotta eat that” while going through my cookbooks. Depending on the “reading”, I say that quite a lot.

I saw this salad on a book Monday night and more than quickly wrote down the ingredients I needed to buy, in order to make it for dinner last night. I made 2 changes: used lime instead of lemon and nigella seeds instead of black sesame seeds.

I bet Joao can’t tell you how many times I said “this is delicious” while eating the salad. Really – I stopped counting at the tenth.

whb-two-year-icon

This is my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging, this time hosted by Rinku, from the blog Cooking in Westchester.

Roasted squash salad with tahini

Roasted squash salad with tahini
from Marie Claire Easy

1 small butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
3 tablespoons tahini
½ cup plain yogurt – I used non-fat
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 ½ cups arugula (rocket)
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon nigella seeds

Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF. Peel the butternut squash and cut it into large chunks. Toss it in the oil, season with salt and pepper and then put the chunks on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender, then allow it to cool.

To make the dressing, mix the tahini, yogurt, cumin, garlic and lime juice to a smooth paste; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the arugula and parsley leaves together and pile them onto a serving plate. Top with the roasted squash, add a spoonful of the dressing, and garnish with a sprinkling of nigella seeds.

Serves 4

37 comments:

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Patricia, this is very nice salad! I love rocket and butternut squash... I will try it if I find tahini.

Have a good day, Margot

Peter M said...

Now Nigella seeds are something I haven't tried nor seen. Now I'm very curious about trying them.

As for the salad, sweet squash against bitter greens...I can see why you raved to Joao!

Wendy said...

Oooooh, bookmarking this! I have an enormous jar of tahini in the fridge and limited ideas as to what to do with it! Thank you. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh I have to try this, it looks absolutely delicious.

:)

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Weird....I've been playing around with a salad dressing very much like this, yogurt or sour cream, and tahini and lemon -- such good flavors with the roasted squash. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Roasted squash, tahini, and yogurt? Oh, please, may I come over for dinner? Seriously, Patricia, these are fabulous flavors.

test it comm said...

Roasted squash and tahini sound like a nice combo. I have never had nigella seeds. I will have to try to find some

Brilynn said...

That salad looks fantastic! I've never used Nigella seeds before.

Peabody said...

A beautiful salad...now if I could get the hubs to eat veggies...sigh. I will have to save this for a night when he works late.

Manggy said...

Oh, the education you blogs give me :) I've never tasted tahini before... Are nigella seeds black sesame seeds? :) Looks good, though! I hope I can try tahini soon.

Jaime said...

wow this looks amazing... i wish i could get my hubby to eat salads!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

This looks terrific! What are nigella seeds?

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Perfect for the other half of the squash we had two nights ago. This makes me say "I've got to eat that." Really beautiful salad Patricia.

Cakespy said...

How Delicious!! I love every part of this recipe and can't wait to try it!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a delicious salad! And reminds me that I need to buy more tahini! :)

Pille said...

Looks pretty, Patricia! I've got a jar of nigella seeds at home, but I must admit I had never thought of sprinkling them on salad - what a great idea!

Emily said...

Ha! At dinner, my mom always talks about how delicious everything is, when she's eating it. Everyone else is silent.

I like the dressing. Nice and light, with the yogurt.
So, you call it arugula, like us, don't you? In USA.
I want to call it rocket, even though I don't live across the pond. Rocket is a fun word.

KJ said...

I always rave on about anything that I am enjoying eating. Discussing the food is part of the eating experience I think.

This looks delicious. I have never used nigella seeds. I will have to try them.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, Patricia! What an amazing salad! I can't wait to try it...seriously....omg I think I may be drooling on my keyboard. :O lol

Karin W. said...

What an interesting dish! However, like some of your other readers, Patricia, I have never heard of nigella seeds before. Are there any other names?

Rachel said...

that is a refreshing salad there

Anonymous said...

You are funny, Patricia! I'd be exclaiming the same thing... in fact I did when I saw your photo :)

Katy said...

yum! i love new squash recipes, and this looks unique and delicious!

LyB said...

Roasted butternut squash... My favorite veggie of the moment! Your salad looks delicious!

Deborah said...

This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!! I have a hard time finding arugula here - do you think this would be good with a green leaf lettuce or something else??

Patricia Scarpin said...

Margot, tahini is wonderful, my friend, you'll like it, I'm sure!

Peter, and he didn't want to try the salad, can you believe it??

Wendy, I bought a jar to make hummus and was glad to use it in another way!

Hi! Thank you for stopping by!

Lydia, really? You know what they say... Great minds think alike! :)

Susan, you would be more than welcome in my house!

Kevin, you can use black sesame seeds, as the original recipe requests.

Bri, it was my first time too, sweetie!

Pea, I have the same problem with Joao. I ate this salad all by myself! :)

Mark, you are such a dear. Nigella seeds are different from sesame seeds. Earthier, in my opinion. And I think you'll love tahini. If you buy it, make a big batch of hummus with it. :)

Hey, sweetie! I wish that too. :S

Lynn, I don't know how to explain that... Maybe if you take a look at them on the Net?

Tanna, I'd love to hear your opinion about, my dear friend.

Cakespy, thank you!!

Joey, I always have tahini in my pantry - can't go without homemade hummus anymore. :)

Pille, thank you! I hope you try that!

Emiline, your mom sounds like a foodie.
Arugula, in Portuguese, is "rúcula" - it's pretty similar!

KJ, do try this salad, sweetie, I think you'd like it.

Nikki, you are far too kind, my friend! Tks!

Karin, I don't think so.

Rachel, thank you for stopping by!

Kristen, good to know I'm in such good company!

Katy, try it sometime!

LyB, I love squash, too. :)

Deb, I think that you need something with a stronger flavor than lettuce - maybe watercress? Even spinach...

Julie said...

That really looks good Patricia, I like the idea of the squash and the dressing looks delicious.

Eva said...

Aah, I need to make this for my man! He loves roasted squash and always muttered what on earth one could do with a whole jar of tahini in the fridge...now he'll see!

Warda said...

Ok, Joao is gonna thing I'm funny too, because I must try this. And fast!

eatme_delicious said...

What a different and yummy looking salad. Looks really tasty and healthy too!

Nic said...

This looks like my type of salad, I love roasted butternut squash! Thanks for posting.

Cynthia said...

It's that good huh? :)

Lisa said...

This salad sounds fabulous!

I love arugula. I have the squash on the kitchen counter. I even have tahini. I meant to try it last night but it didn't happen. Maybe this weekend...

Thanks for the inspiration!

MPG said...

Wow, this is like a full meal...sounds so healthy & delicious!!

Anonymous said...

this salad looks fantastic Patricia. I like the idea of lime juice for a change!

Elle said...

Great looking salad and the lime juice seems perfect. Might try it with the squash still a bit warm for contrast.

Madame K said...

Funny, whenever I respond audibly to my favorite food porn, my husband gets just a teeny bit jealous; as if he wished he could be roasted and tossed with yogurt-lime dressing!

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