Recipe: Red Cabbage Salad With Broiled Butternut Squash & Pear

Think the start of fall means salad season is over? Think again! Fall is a great time to rethink salads. Instead of tomatoes and cucumbers, instead, think beets, cabbage, and squash. Add apples or pears, and some toasted nuts, and you have a hearty, gorgeous, healthy fall salad like this one!

Red Cabbage Salad Tossed With Broiled Butternut Squash & Pear

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
2 firm ripe pears, washed
1 Tbsp butter, melted
3 cups finely chopped red cabbage
1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup raspberry or regular vinaigrette dressing

Directions:

• Get out broiler pan and spray with cooking oil.
• Peel the squash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and discard.  Cut squash into 1/2 inch slices, crosswise.
• Cut pears in half lengthwise, then into 8 wedges, then cut out core and seeds from wedges.
• Brush squash and pears with melted butter.
• Preheat broiler. 
• Place squash on broiler pan; place pan on rack about 3 inches from heat and broil for 3 minutes, remove from oven and turn each piece over.
• Now add the pears to the broiler pan; put on rack and broil 3 more minutes or until squash is tender and pears are hot.
• Place chopped red cabbage on a large platter or salad bowl.
• Top with hot squash and pears.
• Add chopped apple and walnuts, then drizzle vinaigrette dressing evenly over entire salad.
• Toss and serve immediately.

Fall Recipe: Cranberry Apple Harvest Time Chicken Salad

The flavors of the harvest come together in this zesty and delicious chicken salad. Citrus, apples, spinach and cranberries bring the taste of fall to your table, and the light, flavorful dressing kicks everything up a notch, and without a lot of calories. Visit your local farmer's market and pick up some fresh ingredients for this tasty salad recipe!

Cranberry Apple Harvest Time Chicken Salad
(Serves 4-6.)

Dressing Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 oranges, zested and juiced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp coarse ground mustard
1 to 2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 small garlic clove, grated

Salad Ingredients:

6-8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery
2 medium apples, ripe but crispy, washed, cored, and diced
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Directions:

1. Into a glass bowl, measure 2 teaspoons orange zest, then add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, salt, black pepper, and garlic, and whisk until combined.
2. Keep whisking and slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the orange juice, whisking until dressing is smooth and comes together.
3. To assemble salads, place spinach in a large salad bowl.
4. Add all the remaining salad ingredients, then drizzle dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients.
5. Serve immediately.