Balsamic Honey-Nut Squash with Pomegranate

Yes, this is served on a platter of kale, but it's really only for aesthetics! I want this Balsamic Honey-Nut Squash with Pomegranate to make it onto your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinner table as a delicious and nutritious appetizer or side dish!

Since each honey-nut squash are so small, it makes it easy to serve one per person.

Honey-nut squash is a more concentrated, sweeter version of butternut squash and the flavor combo of the goat cheese, pomegranate, walnuts, and honey-nut squash is to DIE for. It's giving all of the seasonal flavors that our bodies will love and our stomachs will love even more.

The best part is that the work is extremely minimal, but the final product is maximal. Make this as a side dish with a lean protein or prepare a large amount to serve for a dinner party. It is a great option for vegetarian guests and can be easily made vegan without the goat cheese.

It's always important to take people's dietary restrictions into thought and these appetizers/side dishes can be great additions to your dinner table. And they are highly nutritious options as well! Squashes are an amazing source of beta-carotenes, which are precursors to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for cellular health and vision! Don't let me talk about nutrition anymore let's get to the recipe.

Yields: 1-4 (meal preppable)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian.

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Ingredients:

1. 2 honey-nut squash, sliced in halves vertically

2. Pomegranate seeds

3. Walnuts

4. Goat cheese

5. Tuscan kale

5. Extra virgin olive oil

6. Balsamic vinegar

7. Honey

8. Salt

9. Black pepper and garlic powder

10. ½ lemon

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Instructions:

1. First, preheat your oven to 425.

2. Grab your two honey-nut squash and chop the tops off. Then slice them vertically (the long way).

3. Next, use a spoon to remove the seeds from each squash.

4. Place the squash onto a baking sheet with either aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cook them skin-side down. Drizzle on olive oil onto each squash and season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to your liking.

5. Bake in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes or until you can fully pierce the squash with a fork.

6. While the squash is baking, grab a serving bowl and add in two handfuls of Tuscan kale.

7. Drizzle on 1 TBSP of olive oil, the juice of ½ lemon, and a dash of salt. Massage the kale with your hands until you cannot hear the crunch anymore.

(btw this is an optional part of the recipe - I think it's aesthetically pleasing to have some greens in the picture and each person enjoying the honey-nut squash can scoop some kale onto their plates for an extra source of veggies. So, skip this part if you'd like and focus on the rest)

8. Have your pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and walnuts next to you.

9. Let's make the quick vinaigrette: in a small bowl pour in 1 TBSP of balsamic vinegar, 1TBSP olive oil,1 TSP of honey, and a dash of salt. Whisk well.

10. Let's put it all together: on the serving plate, gently add on the honey-nut squashes skin-side down. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, crushed walnuts, and goat cheese to your liking. Pour on the balsamic vinaigrette.

11. Enjoy with friends and family!

xoxo,

#averagearabgirl