MOTW: Chili-Roasted Squash, Spring Greens, Quinoa, Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad
This one is my NEW favorite salad!
I wanted to make something super easy this week that helped me use up the butternut squash that I had bought and not used the week before. And I didn't want to have to cook much of anything!
So, this is one of those super easy go-to's that you should definitely keep on the back-burner in your recipe stash!
What I like about this recipe?
- Primarily veggies, and let's face it - you can't go wrong with that! So many recipes I share or that I commonly eat have a huge starch component! What I love about this one is that you don't really HAVE to use the starch if you don't want to!
- Super versatile - You can add what you do and do not want to this! If you don't like squash, substitute another veggie!
- Minimal time and minimal cooking - I store bought or already had a lot of these staples. Yes, that adds to the cost, but it also adds to the ease of prep which us graduate students LOVE!
- No dressing required - This is one of those salads that is so tastey in and of itself that you don't need dressing! And if you're on 21 day fix, that's a MUST because we only get one of those little orange containers!
- GOAT CHEESE - I might be a little obsessed with goat cheese! But seriously the goat cheese in this recipe, MAKES IT! I promise you! It's incredible! Definitely don't leave it out!
Before, I get started, I have to give credit where credit is due! I originally modified this recipe from this Chili-Roasted Butternut Squash post on Kelly's Kitchen!
What you'll need:
- 1 bag of frozen butternut squash OR one fresh butternut squash
- I prefer the fresh variety because then your squash gets a nice texture to it!
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Spring greens
- Quinoa
- I pretty much always have pre-pared quinoa in my refrigerator! That way I can cook a big batch and then just add yellow 21 day fix containers of it to whatever I'm eating that day!
- Optional: If you're not a fan of quinoa, you can use black beans!
- Goat Cheese
- Roast chicken - One of those prepared ones from the grocery store!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) for roasting the squash
Directions:
- Finish roasting the chicken per package instructions.
- Prepare quinoa, if not already prepared!
- Use a 2:1 ratio of quinoa to water! Boil and then reduce heat to low, cooking until quinoa has absorbed all the water.
- Prepare Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees!
- If using frozen squash-no preparation needed!
- If using fresh squash...Cut up the squash into cubes, discarding the seeds in the interior.
- Toss prepared squash in 1 tbps EVOO, chili powder and cumin (to taste), and some kosher salt and pepper - I used about 3 tsp of both cumin and chili powder
- Evenly distribute on a greased baking sheet
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Assembly
- 1 green container of spring greens
- Top with:
- 1 green container of chili-roasted butternut squash
- 1 yellow container of quinoa (or black beans if you went that route)
- 1 red container of roasted chicken
- 1 blue container of goat cheese
Voila!
That's it!
Super easy, delicious and 21 day fix approved! It's great for a quick-and-easy lunch as well as dinner!
21 Day Fix breakdown: 2 greens (for spring greens and butternut squash), 1 yellow (for quinoa/black beans), 1 blue (goat cheese), 1 tsp (for EVOO - or at least that's how I count the oils in this recipe because there's so little!)
ENJOY!
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