Maple Dijon Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts
Amazing how we can go from a beautiful Indian summer to almost winter overnight! Ah the joys of living in the Midwest…someday when I strike it rich I will be typing this blog from a warm sunny beach, watching the waves crash on the shore while sipping my…oh sorry for the sidetrack! Back to reality! I was able to secure some gorgeous pumpkins and squash this fall. They have all been super delicious. Today I picked up a beautiful stalk of brussel sprouts and thought they would get along nicely with some butternut squash, shallots and cranberries. Yummy!!! I had seen several other posters using similar combinations and thought I would also give it a shot.
So here goes, I first grabbed my Costco sized container of cubed butternut squash as I was feeling lazy, then realized it was no longer good. Oh man! So I grabbed a beautiful squash from my collection, peeled the skin off, scraped out the seeds and diced it in about 1/4-1/2″ cubes. Once you remove the sprouts from the stalk (or if your sprouts came ready to use), cut the base off of the sprout, peel the outer leaves off and slice them in half lengthwise. Spread the sprouts and squash out onto a cookie sheet. Slice a large shallot (use garlic or a little onion or both if you don’t have a shallot) and add to the cookie sheet, along with the thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat the veggies, then into a 450 degree oven they go.
They will need to roast for about 30 minutes, I stir them once half way through for even roasting. After 30 minutes, toss in a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and the enough maple vinagrette to coat the veggies without drowning them. Pop this back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Don’t let it cook longer as the cranberries will turn into rocks. (unless you like that of course!)
I served mine as a base for my Rosemary Garlic Chicken, but as a stand alone this would make a pretty tasty warm salad. Enjoy, cheers!
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