Winter is Still Here

Old man Winter came out to play again yesterday, if only to prove that he's still here, lurking behind overcast clouds and sparse moments of sunshine. Not that we'd forget, with the remains of the last snow storm still covering large areas of the ground. An inch or two of new snow blanketed the earth and clung to the bushes and trees, but not the roads.


It was a gentle, pretty snow. A subtle reminder that Winter lives on.



With that in mind, my salad weatherization continues with a robust BLT salad. The large chunks of homemade croutons, thick, creamy ranch dressing, and crisp bacon make this a hearty and substantial meal.

BLT Salad


Ranch Dressing

1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Salt/pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until well blended. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk. I also occasionally add 1 tbs. Parmesan cheese. You can make this dressing as fattening or low fat as you like depending on the fat content of the mayo, sour cream, and milk.

Winter Salad

I have an incredibly hard time eating salad in the winter. Most days it’s the absolute last thing I want to eat. I readily set good intentions aside in favor of warm, nostalgic comfort food. In early January, I tried to do a cleanse of sorts – no caffeine, no sugar, super healthy meals. It seemed like a good idea after all that rich holiday food. Wrong. I made it four grumpy, pouty days and then called it quits and decided to put the whole thing on hold until spring. I simply can’t eat super healthy in the winter. It’s just not in me.

Therefore, I’ve been trying to find ways to winterize my salads to make them more appealing to my cold-weather palette. The solution? Butternut squash roasted to sweet perfection, with couscous, red wine vinaigrette, and cranberries to add a touch of sweetness. Now that's a salad I can handle in the winter!

Winter Butternut Squash Salad

The couscous:

1 c. couscous

1 ¼ c. chicken broth

1 tbs. olive oil or butter

¼ tsp. salt

1 c. dried cranberries

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2-3 shallots (or 1 small onion), diced small

The vinaigrette:

3 tbs. red or white wine vinegar

1 tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. orange zest

¼ tsp. coriander

¾ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. of salt

Toppings:

Chopped fresh parsley

Small handful of chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash with olive or grapeseed oil and spread out on baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (the squash should be tender but not mushy). Allow to cool completely.

Saute shallots until tender. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together ingredients for vinaigrette. Set aside.

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous, ¼ tsp. salt, and olive oil or butter. Boil for one minute then cover and remove from heat for 5-8 minutes. To the couscous, add cranberries, garbanzo beans, sautéed shallots, and cooled squash. Pour the vinaigrette over the mixture and gently mix together until all ingredients are coated with the vinaigrette. Spoon onto plates and top with chopped fresh parsley and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from - The Kitchn