On the Table: Autumnal Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Quinoa Salad

The other day Rose-Anne posted about her intention to make this recipe for Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad from Orangette. I had a butternut squash on hand and had been pondering what to do with it since M. is in the anti-squash camp. When M. suggested just having salads for dinner last night, I decided that I would make a variation of this salad and have it for dinner (while M. had his own salad) and take the leftovers for lunches this week.

Ingredients for the salad:
One butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cans of chickpeas
2Tbsp of olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup of quinoa

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F. While the oven is preheating, peel, deseed, and cube the squash. Place it on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, toss to coat.  Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. I used my rice cooker to make it and used one cup of the dried grain and 2 cups of water.

Finely chop the onion. 

Open and drain the chickpeas. 

Mix all of these ingredients in a large bowl. 

Ingredients for the dressing: 

2 Tbsp of tahini (stir well)

2 cloves of minced garlic (you can use less - I like garlic)

3 Tbsp of lemon juice

1/2 tsp of mustard (I used a fancy mustard my mother-in-law brought me back from a trip to France)

1 tsp of honey

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

2 Tbsp of water

3 Tbsp of olive oil (I could have managed with just 2 but I got a bit zealous)

1/2 tsp of sea salt (more or less - to taste)

Directions: 

Add each ingredient, stirring with each addition. Then dress the salad, stirring until the dressing coats all of the salad more or less evenly.

I really like this combination and will definitely be making this again. The butternut squash adds a lovely hint of autumn to the salad, and it was easy to make and very filling.  If I'd had fresh parsley and/or feta on hand, those might have made lovely additions to this dish.

Are you a fan of butternut squash? What's your favorite way to eat it? Are there any foods that are fall favorites for you?

On the Table: Potato Leek Soup

Potato soup is one of my favorite winter meals.  This hearty soup is so good for cold days that I've made it twice this month.  Both times I served it with a generous hunk of bread and some wine.

While peeling potatoes isn't my favorite activity in the world, all the other prep work is easy and done in a flash.

Ingredients:
3 leeks
2 cloves of garlic
7-10 potatoes
basil - several leaves
3/4tsp rosemary
3/4tsp thyme
2 T olive oil
pepper - to taste
vegetable stock (or organic chicken broth)
water (optional)
half & half (optional)

Chop the leeks and garlic and peel the potatoes and cut them into your preferred size of chunk.  In a large pot, combine the leeks, garlic, and olive oil and saute, stirring frequently, until the leeks are fragrant and tender (about 5 minutes).  The second time I made the soup, I also added two chopped carrots.  Add the basil and other spices and cook for another minute or so.  Add the stock and water and the potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Once the soup reaches a roaring boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes.  If you want a creamier soup, add cream or half & half and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Serve while still hot.

What's your favorite soup to make? What's your favorite soup to eat?