Butternut Squash Salad with Candied Pecans

My poor husband never ate a butternut squash until he met me. Now he eats so much of it, he has wonders how he lived without it all these years. I am a fanatic about butternut squash. I love it in soups, as an added element to grains or as its own simple side dish. Here is a salad that I invented when I just ran out of ways to eat all the butternut squash that sits in my kitchen.

1 ½-2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cut into bite-size cubes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup whole pecans

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

½ cup orange juice

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 lb. spinach leaves or romaine hearts

2 pears, peel on cut into bite-size pieces

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté butternut squash cubes in olive oil about 5 minutes. Lower flame, cover pot and let the squash cook for another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The squash is ready when it can easily be pierced with a fork. Remove squash from pan and set aside.

Using the same frying pan as the squash, scrape up the leftover bits and leave them in the pan. Add the whole pecans and sauté them over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes or until pecans are coated. Remove pecans from pan, and add to butternut squash.

Again using the same pan, stir in the orange juice and lemon juice, using a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan. Let the juices come to a simmer and remove from flame.

Place lettuce, pears, squash, and pecans in a bowl. Drizzle with juice mixture, and toss to coat.

Recipe from “The At Home Gourmet” by Sarah M. Lasry