Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash & Kale Salad with Toasted Curry Tahini Vinaigrette

Instructions

Roast the squash

1. Slice. Heat the oven to 400°F. Halve the acorn squash, scoop out the seeds, and slice it into ¾-inch-thick half rounds.
2. Roast. Coat the squash with maple syrup, salt, and black pepper, spread it out on a sheet pan, and sprinkle lightly with black garlic flakes. Roast until fork-tender, 30–40 minutes.

Make the vinaigrette

3. Mix. Stir together the tahini, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, two good splashes of olive oil, and the water.
4. Toast the spices. In a small skillet on the stove, toast the fennel and cumin seeds until they start to darken and are very aromatic. For the last few seconds, add the curry powder and let it quickly toast.
5. Blend. Add the toasted spices to the dressing and blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. I use a little personal smoothie blender for dressings.

Candy the pepitas

6. Toast. In the same skillet, toast the pepitas until they start to crackle and brown.
7. Glaze. Add the maple syrup and take the pan off the heat. Stir well to coat everything, sprinkle with flake salt, and leave out to cool.

Optional: add a protein

8. Roast. Coat a chicken breast or salmon fillet with salt, black pepper, and toasted curry powder. Roast at 400°F alongside the squash until cooked through: about 20–25 minutes for chicken (165°F inside), or 12–15 minutes for salmon. Rest, then slice.

Assemble

9. Build. Cut the roasted squash into 1-inch chunks. Lay down a bed of chopped kale and top with the red onion, squash, dried cranberries, and goat cheese.
10. Finish. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and top with the candied pepitas, fried shallots, and freshly cracked black pepper. Add the sliced chicken or salmon if you’re using it.

Notes

• Leftover squash? Here’s an idea to use it up: the Acorn Squash, Goat Cheese, Pear & Sage Crostini blends two slices into a goat cheese dip.