Have you ever had the Moroccan Chicken Salad at California Pizza Kitchen? It is to die for. It is the perfect Fall salad with it's roasted butternut squash, beets, and dates. It's an odd combination of flavors at first sight, but oh.my.word. is it good! I put my own spin on it recently, with ingredients I had available (which did not include lettuce!), and thought it might be worth sharing here. And, yes...it may appear an unconventional (and annoyingly loose recipe), but...you guessed it--it's worth a try!
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RoastedSalad[/caption]
- Lightly blanched green beans (I used frozen)
- Roasted beets, diced
- Roasted diced butternut squash
- Roasted diced granny smith apples
- Diced fresh granny smith apples
- Pecans or sliced almonds
- Diced dried dates
- Champagne vinaigrette
Blanch, drain and chill green beans; set aside.
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Blanched green beans[/caption]
Roast beets: Lightly coat in oil, wrap in foil, and roast in over at 375F for 45-60 min., or until tender. Cool, peel, and dice. (Salt and pepper, and add a splash of vinegar, if eating alone!)
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Roasted Beets[/caption]
Roast butternut squash and apples: Peel and dice both squash and apples. Toss lightly in olive oil and roast at 375F until lightly browned and tender.
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Roasted apples and butternut squash[/caption]
Add diced fresh apples, handful pecans, and dried dates, to the green beans, beets, squash and apples. Toss the entire mixture with vinaigrette. Serve chilled or at room temp. Enjoy!
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Roasted Autumn Salad[/caption]