Squashtacular: #Shameseamless Marches On
Continuing on in my Sunday afternoon crusade to #shameseamless, I kept my roasting extravaganza going and moved on to two trays of butternut squash. Coupled with some shitake mushrooms and sage, there is so much natural flavor in this dish that you really don’t need to do much to it at all. You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes! Throw it on top of some kale and you’ve got yourself a hearty meal.
Total ingredient cost on this one? Like $8. And you’ll have enough for at least 3 servings!
“Squashtacular” Roasted Butternut Squash, Shitake, Shallot and Kale Salad
Makes 3-4 large servings
- 1 small butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, diced or (if you’re lazy like me) sliced into rings
- 1 package pre-sliced shitake mushrooms
- 5-6 fresh sage leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Turn on the oven to 400˚F and prepare two baking sheets with aluminum foil. While the oven is heating, prep your squash. Cut the long straight stem just above the bulb. For this recipe we’ll only use the stem (easier to dice and roasts more evenly) but hold on to that bulb and we’ll roast it separately and make some soup some other time.
Peel the stem of the tough outer layer either with a vegetable peeler or a paring knife. Then create an even dice. Get out a large bowl and combine the diced squash with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until the squash is thoroughly coated with the oil. Then evenly distribute the squash on your baking sheets and put them in the oven. Roast for about 30-35 minutes or until the squash is nice and tender and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
While your squash is in the oven roasting, we’ll quickly whip up the mushrooms. Get out a large skillet and heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the shallot and let that cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Then add the sliced shitake mushrooms and sauté 2-3 more minutes. Add your sage leaves and some salt and pepper and keep cooking until the mushrooms are nice and tender and have reduced a bit in size. Probably another 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the heat and set them aside.
When you’re ready to pack lunch, create a substantial bed of kale and pile a whole mess of your roasted squash and mushrooms on top. As always eat at room temperature for the best flavor profile.