Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

~It's officially summer! And that means eating light on hot sunny days :-) I love a good salad and I'm constantly on the lookout for a new variation. One of my recent discoveries is butternut squash; specifically roasting it. I know, I know- I'm a late bloomer. Please keep in mind, I grew up with nearly all my veggies stir-fried. No complaints there. But that also means, I've had to "discover" certain Western vegetables as an adult. Like brussel sprouts.

I took a few pointers from Ina Garten in the roasting portion, because let's face it- who couldn't use a few pointers from her? The vinaigrette is my own, but more on that in the connecting post ;-) What I love about this salad, is the sweet, the tangy, the different play on textures; the softness of the squash, the crunch of the almonds, the crisp of the apples. I admit; I am a texture fiend when it comes to food.

Serves 6-8 as side salads or 4 as entree portions.

Ingredients

• 2lb butternut squash- peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple- thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
• 10oz mixed salad greens
• *1/4 cup Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a shallow roasting pan, combine squash, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix thoroughly. Lay the pieces flat.
3. Roast on one side for 15min. 
4. Flip squash to other side and roast for another 18min. 
5. Remove and set aside to cool.
6. In a large bowl, combine roasted squash, dried cranberries, half portion of the almond slivers, and half portion of the apple slices.
7. Toss thoroughly with vinaigrette. 
8. Divide mixed greens evenly amongst the serving plates. 
9. Divide squash mixture evenly and serve atop the mixed greens. 
10. Sprinkle remaining portion of toasted almonds evenly amongst the salads.
11. Use the remaining apple slices as garnishes on the salad plates. 
12. Needless to say, once dressed, a salad must be served immediately. Enjoy! :-)