Thursday, 15 May 2014

Butternut Squash, Kale and Chickpea Summer Salad

Last week Catie and I undertook a week of 'clean eating', and this recipe was definitely one of our favourite evening meals. Despite being a fairly simple salad, the roasted butternut squash and chickpeas make this dish suprisingly filling, whilst the pomegranate, lemon and lime add a sharp tanginess. I also think that serving it hot makes it seem like a heartier meal rather than just a lunchtime salad, so despite being extremely good for you, you still feel satisfied and full at the end of a long day. Kale is a well established 'superfood', being rich in Vitamins A, B, C and K as well as being low in calories and virtually fat free - perfect for those getting into shape for summer. You could also add some chicken to the salad if you fancy a non-vegetarian version. A good student trick when using root ginger is to store it in the freezer, and then you can use it whenever needed as it lasts for ages. A more detailed post on our clean eating week will be coming soon with more healthy recipes.


To serve two you will need...

1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
200g curly kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp of fresh ginger, grated
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lime juice
Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
1/4 tsp salt


You will need to...

- Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
- Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking tray, season and drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for approx 40 mins or until soft.
-Meanwhile in a large saucepan, soften the onion in a little olive oil over a medium heat. Once soft add the garlic and ginger contine to cook for a minute.
-Add the kale to the pan and stir for a minute until it begins to wilt then reduce the heat and cover for 10 mins.
- Add the drained chickpeas, stir and cover for another 5 minutes until they are warmed through.
-Remove from heat, add the roasted squash, pomegranate seeds, salt, lemon and lime juice stir and serve immediately. 

Enjoy, Z and C x

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