This salty maple squash with accessories is a fancy-feeling main course with hardy vegetables. Just a much nicer version of an everyday supper at our house. I’m in the middle of some freelance food-related projects so there are scraps and halves of all kinds of vegetables/herbs in the fridge right now.
The dinnertime move lately is a roasted vegetable plus some grain with a slaw-style salad with seasonal add-ins. The glazed salty maple squash is so delicious and sticky and awesome on its own though. I dress the whole thing with a fresh turmeric and clementine dressing. Nice and light, sweet, and a pretty shade of yellow. My first little crate of the citrus is deliciously sweet, so I’m hoping that’s indicative of what’s to come.
Besides eating them as snacks, clementine juice in a dressing or sauce is so festive and adds just the right tang and sweetness. Here, I make a cashew butter-based, slightly creamy dressing–you could also use tahini! The creaminess is just perfect with the sweet squash and cruciferous vegetable flavours going on.
Some other bits: I have a gluten-free and vegan chocolate chunk ginger cake on BAKED this week and a Thanksgiving-appropriate recipe for pot pie in The Washington Post too. If you’re looking for more holiday inspiration, I have all of my best options linked here.
Salty Maple Squash with Ginger Rice & Turmeric Brussels Sprout Slaw
Ingredients
SALTY MAPLE SQUASH:
- 1 small butternut or acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch wedges
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons tamari soy sauce
- sea salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
TURMERIC BRUSSELS SLAW:
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 1-2 scallions, sliced reserving white parts
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter (preferably raw)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- juice of 1 clementine (around ¼ cup)
- 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
RICE AND ASSEMBLY:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds/arils
Notes
- It might be helpful to pre-peel the squash before you roast, just for easier eating. I didn’t really do this and the experience was a touch more rustic.
- If you can’t find fresh turmeric for the dressing, just substitute 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- I use a Benriner mandolin for shredding here.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Lay the squash pieces on the parchment, peel side down. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, tamari, olive oil, salt and pepper. Brush this mixture on the squash (flesh parts; not the peel). Slide the tray into the oven and roast until the squash is tender, about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the brussels sprouts very thin into shreds. Toss them into a medium bowl with the sliced scallion, and chopped dill. In a blender, combine the cashew butter, dijon mustard, clementine juice, fresh turmeric, and olive oil. Season the mix with salt and pepper and blend on high until the mixture is totally smooth and incorporated, adding splashes of water if necessary. Pour ⅓-½ the dressing onto the brussels sprouts mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and gently toss again. Set aside.
- Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the ginger and sliced scallions and stir until ginger has softened a bit, about 1 ½ minutes. Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to coat in the ginger scallion oil. Keep stirring and sautéing until the rice is warm, about 3 minutes. Season mix with salt and pepper.
- Lay the squash slices in two shallow bowls/plates. Top the squash with the ginger scallion rice. Divide the brussels slaw among the two plates and garnish with extra turmeric dressing and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
This was delicious and we loved having a variety of textures and Fall flavors. I made a few substitutions with what I had on hand, and they worked out well – green cabbage instead of Brussels sprouts, hazelnut butter instead of cashew butter, and whole grain mustard instead of Dijon. As much as I love fresh herbs, Dill is my least favorite so I did omit it here. Thank you as always for such inspiring recipes.
[…] von Kürbis und Rosenkohl diesen Herbst noch lange nicht satt, daher musste ich dieses Rezept von The First Mess direkt ausprobieren. Die […]
Just made this and the flavors and textures are unreal! Your recipes are always unique and fun to make :)
We potlucked (a word?) thanksgiving dinner this year, my folks weren’t in the mood to cook so everyone brought along sides. I made just the squash component of this recipe and it was a big hit!! loved it!!
The colors in these photographs are delightful! The recipe looks wonderful. I’ll also be enjoying a veggie Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for sharing. Best to you and yours.
xo
This looks AMAZING Laura – your recipes are ALWAYS a winner :)
The squash reminds me of one of my favourite ever salads (which i make with coconut nectar instead of honey – it’s divine with the coconut oil
http://ascensionkitchen.com/pumpkin-chickpea-and-rocket-salad-with-raw-cashew-coriander-cream/) I’ll be trying your maple spin :)
I love the story arc of this post & I couldn’t relate more…my boyfriend always reminds me to breath easy, especially during this time. Hope the holidays are great :) beautiful recipe!
What a colorful, utterly lovely dish, Laura! Sending you good vibes all the way from Finland (sans snow so I’m kinda jealous that you get to enjoy some white beauty) to Canada. xx
This looks so comforting but healthy and so delicious!
Seriously love the vibrant colors of this dish!! Sometimes, it’s so nice to have someone that is the perfect balance to the crazy in our personalities–my husband is just the same. :)
Can you post the recipe for the kale slaw? That sounds delicious! Thanks.
I, like you, am not usually the best version of myself when slightly under pressure, let alone when very under pressure like I am now. My man is a saint and always know how to calm me down, and also how to tollerate my mood swings…I feel very fortunate for it. It sounds like you have a lot on your plate, and hope work and projects and creativty will always be plentiful for you, talented lovely lady. Yet hopefully some inner peace and ease and calmer days will come sometime soon, too. Beautiful, vibrant dish, perfect to brighten these gloomy days.
Gorgeous salad! Love all the different colors and textures going on in it!
Trying to chill the eff out this holiday season? I’m so in. Life seems to have been so crazy recently and I’ve had too many of those crazy moments and spending time/energy arguing and battling against things which don’t deserve it. And yes to all the flavours you’ve got here. Super love that clementine. Stay warm friend!
this time of year everything is moving at a pace that i’m kind of never ok with, add work on top of it all, and it’s a touch craze-inducing. so being a dick to my man is something that happens all too often when i’m in that head space. this dish mighty mighty beautiful, and full of all the good stuff! those clementines! we haven’t gotten them here yet, but looking forward to when we do! all the best to you, miss! xoxo
Reading this post was sooo much fun! Even though i am super sorry about your finger…
I’m in a period in which i am submerging everything with turmeric, so that slaw looks super awesome! This whole dish does.
I am also super intrigues by that wacky looking citrus. Never ever seen one in my life!
Loved the post and the slaw is being made this weekend! Amazing.
Hi Laura,
Let me know how it goes with the osage orange! :) I haven’t done any dissecting on one yet myself.
These flavor combinations sound wonderfully warming and comforting. Beautiful. I’m with you on the peace and optimal health for the holidays…feels like that’s how it should be, right?
I adore this post. Sometimes we do get so wrapped up in what we are doing, in our own little world, we forget what it is like to let things slide and be a little more patient. I know I do. I was so focused on photographing a recipe that I barely noticed my boyfriend tell me he was leaving the house and I almost forgot to kiss him goodbye! Needless to say, I was feeling like you, a dick.
This recipe is so colourful and vibrant, just what I need with the sun going down painfully early and the streets looking grey and bleak.
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this!
this looks insane. “being a dick”…I know that all too well. Sounds like you have a lot of work on your plate, which always seems like such a blessing disguised as a burden. Hope this season also offers you rest and thanksgiving, sweet lady.
I would really appreciate the recipe for the kale slaw too…thinking it may b e great for Thanksgiving.
I can relate to this post more than I’d ever like to admit! I’ve been in the same boat of overbooking myself for freelance gigs lately and totally taking out my stress / frustration on my boyfriend (“Make your own dinner – I’ve been cooking all day”) and its totally wearing on me. I did finally turn in the biggest project of them all on Monday and it felt. SO. GOOD. Just keep your eye on the prize and make sure to relish on that relief moment when it’s all done and amazing and everything you wanted it to be. Cheers!!
This is one of the most creative and colorful bowls I have seen lately. I love the brussels slaw with pomegranate seeds. Beautiful :)
I’m loving this recipe, as it sounds like my piecemeal fridge right now – leftover rice, some roasted squash, and some Brussels awaiting whatever fate comes their way. Sounds like lunch! And I love the story about your husband being the calming, centering, patient one. My husband is the same way and he, like yours, reminds me that I’m freaking out about nothing important and should just calm down. Thank goodness for them!
All the colours – the flavours … sounds incredible!!
Totally relate.
I am SO pumped to try this slaw!!!! Also, love your honesty in this post. I’ve had similar things happen with needing a potluck dish for the husband’s work functions. :)
Agreed, sometimes it’s hard not to give into that sugar/boozy temptation. I just don’t want to come out on the other side of January and be all ‘what the eff happened?!’
More gorgeous pics! Anything with turmeric is gold in my book! I was kinda hoping to see you incorporate those osage oranges/monkey balls I spotted in a couple of those photos. I’ve seen them around my area (northern VA), and know the seeds are edible but wouldn’t have the first clue what to do with them. What are your plans for them? Just decorative? They are pretty cool looking.
Hey Meredith, my plans are purely decorative–that is, until now. I had no idea you could eat the seeds! I’m going to cut one today and take a look ;)
-L
IT IS JUST AMAZING WHAT YOU COOK! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING! YOU CHANGED MY LIFE!!!
What a colourful dish and wonderful photos! I’m so happy it’s squash season right now.
the-veghog.blogspot.co.uk
So delicious looking and so fresh and healthy too! As always, you are an inspiration!
sounds & looks delicious! however, after reading this mouthwatering description of that kale salad I’m very curious where to find the recipe for that one :)
This dish looks so delicious! The colours look so pretty together. You’ve got talent :)
The colors of this plate are awesome. It seems perfect : the softness in rice and squash, the crunchy side of raw brussels sprouts, the creaminess of the cashew butter and the sourness of pomegranates.