food: chopped winter salad with butternut squash, apple, and feta

I made this last amazing butternut squash salad for dinner last night. I'm so excited that it was a hit and look forward to it becoming a regular guest in our household!

Butternut squash is, as I'm sure I've said before and will undoubtedly say again, one of my favorite things ever. So, when I say this recipe for a quick and easy salad in last months issue of Real Simple, I knew it wouldn't be long before I tried it out!

There is so much going on in this dish you just have to try it for yourself! First of all there is the feta / kalamata olive combo which in and of itself is one of my personal favs. All that salty goodness adds so much flavor to this dish. Then there is the tart apple to balance out the feta cheese and chickpeas. Radicchio, which I personally never had before, was great and added a ton of fun color to the dish. And then, the star of the show, in my opinion, the roasted butternut squash! Oh, and I can't forget the dill dressing which was the easiest thing I have ever made! The dill was a perfect herb for this dish!

Chopped Winter Salad with Butternut Squash, Apple and Feta (from Real Simple)

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 small head radicchio leaves town
• 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 4 ounces Feta cheese
• 1 tart apple (I used Granny Smith)
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes; let cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, dill, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the squash, radicchio, chickpeas, Feta, apple, and olives and toss to combine.