BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND JAPANESE SWEET POTATO SALAD

 

 

 

 

I love this simple twist on thetraditional potato salad using Japanese sweet potato and squashes to not onlyadd flavor but also nutrients. Adding in other raw vegetables gives it justthat much more freshness and crispness to each bite.

 

I think I am going to catagorize this as ridiculously simple!

 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND JAPANESE SWEET POTATO SALAD

 

3 each Japanese sweet potatoes, steamed and cubed

1 pound butter nut squash,steamed and cubed

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon dill, optional

1/2 cup low fat veganaise

salt & pepper to taste

1 lemon, juice of , optional

 

Add all ingredients into a largebowl and serve.  Love it!

 Take a look at these the goodness inJapanese sweet potatoes and butternut squash on Livestrong's site. You can’t go wrong.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

WARM BROWN RICE SALAD

 

 

 

 

 

I love these types of recipes and dishes because its super easy to make, it doesn't take a lot of time and you can make a lot and have some more for later.  I'll usually make a big bowl for dinner and then pack some for lunch the next day.  I love to cook, but there are defintely those day where you just do not have the time to spend in the kitchen.  This is is the perfect recipe for that.

 

Also, I love the fact that you can really substitute the brown rice for any of your favorite grains... bulgar, red lentils, black lentils, or my favorite black rice.  I made a similar dish HERE.

 

BROWN RICE SALAD

 

1 cup short grain brown rice, cooked

1 cup raw broccolli, chopped, or quick blanche*

1 cup raw cauliflower, chopped, or quick blanche*

1 cup raw mushrooms, sliced

1 cup butternut squash, steamed

1 cup edamames, perpared per directions

Fresh basil

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

For these types of non raw recipes, I try to keep as many of the ingredients raw if I can.  I love the contrast between the soft and the crispness of the ingredients.

*For vegetables you don't like to eat raw, you can quick blanch them to cook them slightly and give them more greenness. Put the broccolli and cauliflower in a strainer, boil some water in a small pot. Once the water is boiled pour it over the broccolli or cauliflower, then run it through some cold water and serve.

 

Cook the rice and the butternut squash and cool to room tempurature.  Blend all the ingredients in a large bow, fold and season with salt and pepper.  So simple!

 

Enjoy!

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

 



BUTTERNUT SQUASH POTATO SALAD

 

 

 

I don't know about you, but I grew up eating potato salad.  My mom, even though she is from Japan and only came here in her early twenties, perfected, in my opinion her potato salad recipe. It was the best!  She even created her own potato salad recipe using Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), which my sister and I love!

 

I've been craving potato salad so I decided to make a butternut squash potato salad and added in a little green.  It was delicious!  I used my Raw Mayonaise recipe to bring it all together.   Here it goes, I got all the ingredients at Trader Joes too.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH POTATO SALAD

1/2 pound Butternut squash , steamed and cubed

1/2 pound Baby Potatoes - I used Dutch Yellow and left the skin on, steamed and cubed

1/2 organic broccoli crown, flash blanched

1/2 red onion chopped

1 avocado cubed

1 tablespoon dill

Raw Mayo to your liking but not too much, I used about 4 tablespoons

Sea Salt and black pepper to taste.

Give the avocado and lemon or lime bath to help with the blackening of the avocado.  Then, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.  This salad is best eaten fresh.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Check out the health benefits of butternut squash from Whole Living:

NUTRITION BREAKDOWN

Per 1 cup cooked, approximately 205 grams

Calories: 82 kcal

Fat: 0.2 g

Vitamin A: 1,144 mcg = 163 percent* of DRI**

Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg = 20 percent of DRI

Vitamin C: 31 mg = 41 percent of DRI

Folate: 39 mcg = 10 percent of DRI

Potassium: 582 mg = 12 percent of DRI

* Percentages are for women 31 to 50 years old who are not pregnant

** DRI, Dietary Reference Intake, is based on National Academy of Sciences' Dietary Reference Intakes, 1997 to 2004

Enjoy.