Butternut Squash and Sunflower Sprout Salad

~30 min

Ingredients:

• lettuce
• sunflower sprouts
• okra and or other vegetables
• butternut squash
• honey
• mustard
• garlic salt
• pepper
• chilli powder 
• ginger powder
• honey
• lemon juice

I bought some butternut squash and sunflower sprouts at the farmers market today and was trying to find some ways to use them. Most recipes call for the seeds and pulp of the squash to be removed before cooking. So I decided to re-purpose them to make a tasty salad.

First remove this stuff and save it for later because it is gooood. And cook the squash with your favorite recipe.

     The best way to separate the pulp from the seeds is to put them in water and rub them with your hands until they disentangle. Now add a 1/4 tsp of chilli powder and garlic salt per small hand full of seeds. Turn a skillet on medium and add a tsp of  tallow or lard. Let the fat warm up and begin to bubble then add the seasoned seeds and spread them out in a single layer. It is important to not stir the seeds around too much because you want them to toast not cook. So give them about two or three minutes before messing with them unless it looks like they are burning.

Now these little guys are delicious. Try not to eat all of them before you finish making the salad :)

For the squash: use the pulp that was separated from the seeds and throw it in a skillet on medium heat with a little olive oil, a 1/8 tsp of ginger powder and lemon juice, and a 1/2 tsp of honey. Cook the water out of the pulp and then crank up the heat on the skillet to medium high. Brown the pulp a bit ~5-10 min and remove.

 To assemble: mix your lettuce, sunflower sprouts, browned squash pulp, okra and etc.

For the dressing: 2 parts brown mustard to 1 part honey and season with some garlic salt and pepper

Toss, top with the chili seeds and serve. Yum

Next time I plan on adding some chicken for a more filling meal.