“I just don’t have the time!”  The lament of so many busy people.  Yet, what are we spending our time on?  The average American spends 4-6 hours per day in front of the television; not to mention, computers, games and phones.  Ok, I do like my techno gadgets, but I love good, wholesome food more.

Cooking has become a spectator sport.  We love to watch, but don’t participate.  But I’m here to tell you, cooking can be fun, entertaining and therapeutic.  Get everyone into the act.  I call my family and friends who want to help in the kitchen: “my sous.”  We laugh, we joke and above all we eat well.  We manage to find time for the things that are important to us.  There are so many meals that simply don’t take a lot of time.  Soups, stews, salads can all be eaten for multiple days, or frozen for future use.  In the time it takes to have a pizza delivered you can have a healthy meal on the table.

In the winter there is sometimes an absence of the type of salads that I enjoyed during the growing season.  I found that if you eat seasonally and try putting some unexpected ingredients together, you are often pleasantly surprised.  In my last post, I used roasted pears as a garnish on my butternut squash soup.  A few days later, I tried the same pairing in a different way in a salad and the results were yumbo-yummy!  Although the dressing is not strictly Paleo, I took creative license for the flavor I was looking for; see what you think…

• 

Roasted Winter Salad with Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• 4 cups butternut squash, cubed in 3/4 inch dice
• 3 Bosch pears, cored, seeded and sliced in 6ths
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups fresh kale, torn in bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups fresh spinach, torn in bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh local feta, crumbled
• 1 recipe Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.  Position rack in center of oven.  In a large bowl, combine squash and pear slices with olive oil.  Toss well and transfer in a single layer to a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with a little Kosher salt.  Roast, flipping with a spatula halfway through and rotating the pan until they are soft and caramelized; approximately 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
2. Toss the greens with 2 Tbsp of the warm vinaigrette, salt and place on a platter or individual plates. Scatter the squash cubes and pear slices on top, then sprinkle with almonds, tart cherries and feta.  Pass extra dressing.

Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil (non-Paleo)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and a little salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.  Remove from heat.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, whisk the vinegar, maple syrup, lime juice and zest, mustard, and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  Whisk the warm oil into the vinegar mixture until emulsified.  Season to taste with more juice, salt or pepper.

Serve 2 as a main, 4 as a side

“Remember….even small changes can make a difference!”