Blueberry, Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad
• 1 pound (450 g) butternut squash,
peeled, seeded and cubed
• 4 tablespoons (60 mL) olive oil,
divided
• 2 cups (500 mL) water
• 1 cup (250 mL) raw quinoa, rinsed well
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (4 mL)
• 1/4 (1.2 mL) teaspoon pepper
• 4 Green onions, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 (250 -375 mL) cups fresh
Chilean blueberries
• 3 cups (750 mL) baby arugula
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F (230 C). In a large bowl, toss squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until tender, about 22 minutes; let cool. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil; simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and cover; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; cool. In a small bowl whisk together remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside. In a large bowl combine squash, green onions, blueberries, arugula and quinoa. Drizzle with dressing; toss to combine.
Serves: 6
Note: Quinoa should be easy to find at your local supermarket but, if not, couscous makes a perfect substitute.
Two of nature’s super foods – fresh blueberries and quinoa – team up with butternut squash to make a salad that’s packed with protein, bursting with sweet and tangy flavour, and colourful. Supplies of fresh blueberries are plentiful all season, courtesy of the growers and exporters of Chile, the southern hemisphere’s largest producer of fresh blueberries.
In addition to a healthy dose of cancer-fighting antioxidants, fresh blueberries pack enough vitamins, fibre and phytochemicals to rank them high on the list of super foods all by themselves. Blueberries also give this salad a burst of sweet, tangy flavour and the lovely colours that make it almost as good to look at as it is to eat.
The protein in this healthful, low-calorie salad comes from quinoa (KEEN-wah), widely considered a grain but really a type of seed more closely related to spinach and chard, which provides a complete protein – one cup has a full gram more than is found in an egg.
Butternut squash is widely available and is not only sweet and tasty, but contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol, so it’s an ideal food for folks on special diets. What’s more, it’s a good source of potassium, magnesium and fibre, and an excellent source of vitamins A and C. Put all three of these core ingredients together and you have a salad that is yummy and nutritious.
For more recipe ideas or information about blueberries from Chile, visit www.fruitsfromchile.com/blueberryrecipes.
Source: www.newscanada.com