Do you remember what I made last year? I made a Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Casserole (yes, a hot dish) for Thanksgiving. And? It was incredible! Even my aunts made it to Ggrandma’s house on the big day. I was proud of my Midwesterner roots.
This year, I wanted to include sweet potatoes and squash again because of carbs. But I wanted to make it a little more classy and simple. A salad made mostly of carbs! Let’s go!
This nine-ingredient dish is made up of roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
Roast the coconut, spices, and maple syrup with a touch of coconut sugar and coconut oil until golden. You’ll devour half of it before you even put the rest together (according to my friend, not me).
As the squash roasts, toast some pecans. Then, in the same pan, toss the pecans with maple syrup, coconut sugar, and spices. Roast for five more minutes until crispy and golden brown.
My friend told me that she had eaten about half the cookies before serving. She’s crazy. What a complete lack of self-control.
When I decided to make the dressing, I debated between sweet, sour, and tangy. Then I remembered that pomegranate syrup existed!
Have you tried it before? It’s tangy, slightly sweet, and full of flavor. It’s a great addition to my Fesenjan (the vegan version is in our Cookbook!) It enhances the dish.
You can buy pomegranate syrup or make your own by cooking down the pomegranate liquid to a semi-glaze (like balsamic). This 1-ingredient salad dressing is ready in just 20 minutes.
For the serving, I chose arugula with red onions. I did it for the color. It would be stunning if you served the squash just with pomegranate and pecan molasses.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- I used sweet potato and butternut squash, both cubed.
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
- Cayenne pepper, one pinch (or more to taste).
- Sea salt is a healthy addition to any meal.
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- Maple syrup 2 Tbsp (or more depending on the sweetness of the squash/potato).
NUTS
- 1 cup raw pecans
- Coconut oil 2 tsp
- Maple syrup, 1 tbsp
- 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- Sea salt, one pinch
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
POMEGRANATE DRESSEN
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate Molasses* (to make at home, 1 cup (240ml) of pomegranate liquid, cooked for 20-25 mins into a semi-glaze consistency*)
The Rest Optional
- Organic arugula, mixed greens, or 2 cups
- Juice 1/2 medium lemon (original recipe yields about two tablespoons or 30 ml)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt + black pepper
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the sweet potato and butternut on separate baking sheets. (They require different baking times// Use more baking sheets if you are increasing the batch size).
- Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, maple oil, cayenne pepper, and sugar to the sweet potato and squash. Toss together.
- Bake the squash for 15-20 minutes and the sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes until they are both fork-tender and sweet. To ensure even baking, toss the sweet potato occasionally.
- Then, add the pecans to a separate baking tray and bake them in the oven at a different rack for 8 minutes. Remove the pecans and add the coconut oil, maple sugar, cayenne pepper, salt, and cinnamon. Toss the mixture with a spoon until it is well-coated. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.
- While the vegetables and pecans roast, prepare the pomegranate syrup (if you are using store-bought, you can skip this step). Add pomegranate liquid to a small pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour the liquid into a dish and let it cool. It will continue to thicken.
- Serve the squash with pecans in a dish with pomegranate syrup, OR place the arugula on a plate or bowl and add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix gently. Add onion, sweet potato or squash, pecans, and pomegranate arils. Enjoy immediately. Enjoy immediately.
