Welcome back! You’re about to cook yet another one of our favourite recipes by the wonderful Monique. We cannot emphasise enough how lucky we are to have Monique with us, preparing lunch at our office three times a week. If this is the first time you hear us mention our ‘in-house’ recipes, you can find more inspiration in previous blogs.
This season, we present a winter salad. The whole team cheers when this colourful dish arrives at the table. It is wholesome, warming and filling. The sweet and earthy flavours from the squash and tahini are combined with a gorgeous punch from the orange.
Monique always emphasises the importance of colour in food. In this salad, the orange squash contrasts beautifully with the dark green kale.
To be eaten as lunch, dinner or as a side dish. Enjoy!
Salad
1 butternut squash (1 kilo-ish)
2 tbsp maple sirup
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
Pinch of salt
250 g quinoa
500 g kale, washed, shred coarsely, discarding the really thick ends of the stalks as you go
Dressing
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Zest and juice of 2 organic oranges
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
A handful of chopped coriander or parsley to garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Wash the butternut squash thoroughly and chop into small chunks with skin.
In a bowl, mix the squash with 2 tbsp of maple syrup, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Spread out on a baking sheet, prepped with parchment paper and bake for about 40 minutes, till soft.
Wash the quinoa. Bring 500 ml of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt.
Add the quinoa to the boiled water and lower the heat. Simmer for 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a colander with half of the kale on top of the pan. Place a lid on top of the colander and let the kale steam till soft.
Mix the other half of the kale with 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly and spread out on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Drain the quinoa and let it sit for about 5 minutes with the lid on. Then, add the quinoa to a large serving bowl, add the steamed kale and drizzle some olive oil over the mixture.
When the butternut squash is soft, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Place the kale in the oven and bake till crispy and dry. Keep the heat at 180C but make sure to check regularly to avoid the kale burning. This can happen faster than expected, depending on the size of your oven.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients (besides the orange zest) and whisk till smooth. If the dressing turns out too thick, add a little extra warm water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the butternut squash to the quinoa and kale, and mix with care. Sprinkle with the roasted kale chips and orange zest, and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Optional: garnish with chopped coriander or parsley.
