The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, meaning it’s drab and dreary outside by mid afternoon. To help counter the long day of darkness, I like to make a hearty meal with colorful, radiant vegetables. A lot of produce that is available in the winter is made up of brilliant hues of reds, oranges, and greens. I think this is nature's way of helping us to brighten our plates and our spirits.
For this dish, I tossed a bunch of my favorite cold-weather fruits, veggies, herbs, and nuts in a maple balsamic dressing and roasted them all together. The tartness from the pomegranate and cranberries is balanced out with the sweetness from the squash and maple syrup. I topped this with vegan feta and rosemary when I removed it from the oven, but you can skip this step if you don’t have them on hand. Feel free to swap out the walnuts for pecans or almonds. This makes the perfect side dish to bring to a holiday feast. You can easily double the recipe if you would like to use the whole butternut squash.
For this dish, I tossed a bunch of my favorite cold-weather fruits, veggies, herbs, and nuts in a maple balsamic dressing and roasted them all together. The tartness from the pomegranate and cranberries is balanced out with the sweetness from the squash and maple syrup. I topped this with vegan feta and rosemary when I removed it from the oven, but you can skip this step if you don’t have them on hand. Feel free to swap out the walnuts for pecans or almonds. This makes the perfect side dish to bring to a holiday feast. You can easily double the recipe if you would like to use the whole butternut squash.
YIELDS
3-4 side servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp dry mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 (about 2 1/2 cups) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- perils from 1 pomegranate
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- vegan feta cheese to top
- fresh rosemary, to top
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, syrup, sugar, and spices.
3. Add the squash, cranberries, pomegranate, and walnuts and mix well to coat.
4. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and top with vegan feta and fresh rosemary before serving.
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Photo: Lauren Sacerdote
