A Salad for All Seasons with Florette - Roasted Squash with Thyme and Taleggio

I don't know about you but I'm bored of beige food. Winter makes me want to make stews, hearty pies and stodgy food. I'm craving something light, colourful and tasty and without the calories that come with pastry and rich sauces. I tend to think of salads as exclusively summer food but let’s eat more salad! It’s fresh, colourful and healthy fast food. In A Salad for All Seasons, Harry Eastwood shakes things up, introducing us to over 100 delicious, original and easy-to-make salads to see you through the year. 

The Autumn and Winter sections of her book offer warm, hearty, nourishing combinations, such as Roasted Squash with Thyme and Taleggio and Spinach, Lamb and Fig with Orange and Honey Dressing. Roasted Squash with Thyme and Taleggio.  

I love books that encourage me to eat seasonally. The variety of dishes included in this book has inspired me to try and make salad more of an everyday item, and not just an accompaniment. Florette love their salads. Just like we love all fresh, tasty, great-quality food. And what they love most of all is when people tell them how they’ve their salads to create delicious meals of their own, in no time at all. I hope they are happy with what this salad newbie created with one of their fresh bags of mixed leaves. 

335 calories per portion 

3 of your 5 a day

Serves 4

600g mixed squashes, seeds removed (use any squash you like)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 red onions, cut into thin moons
2 tbsp thyme leaves, stripped from stalks
200g Taleggio cheese, cubed
a few handfuls or rocket leaves

For the dressing
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ gas mark 6

Cut the squashes into half moons of around 2cm thickness. Toss them in the oil and roast in the top of the oven for 5 minutes. Make sure the squash is spread out so it can roast evenly. 

Turn the oven settings to grill. Remove the tray from the oven and add the onion slices, sprinkle with thyme and place back in the oven. Grill for a further 10 minutes until the squash is blistered and golden. 

Meanwhile make the dressing. Mix the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in a pan with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. The syrup will thicken and become glossy. 

When the squash and onions have cooked remove them from the oven and pile onto a serving platter. Season with salt and pepper. Dot the cheese cubes all over and give it  good toss with the rocket. Drizzle the warm glaze on the top. Serve warm. 

You can use Fontina instead of Taleggio and sage instead of thyme. I found it hard to get these cheeses (the shops were full of festive wensledayle and Cranberry) to I used a good Gorgonzola. I also added a squeeze of lemon juice to my salad. You will love this salad, it warming, the dressing is sweet and the cheesy is gooey mmmm.

If you want to create some healthy and tasty salads yourself make sure you check out the Florette website for plenty of salad recipes and tips about flavour combinations and how to use leftovers.

Weight Watchers friendly crayfish, mango & avocado salad recipe

Serves 2 - 7 Pro Points per serving


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• red chilli
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1/4 red onion or some spring onions
• 125g crayfish (I bought mine pre-prepared in Lidl)
• 1 large mango, peeled, pitted, sliced
• 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
• lettuce leaves

Method

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper then mix in onion and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

Form a bowl with little gem lettuce on a plate and add any other salad leaves you have. Place avocado, mango and crayfish on top and drizzle over the dressing. 

I think this would look lovely served in glasses for a dinner party and it's so colourful even kids might try some.

If you wanted to turn this into the Marks and Spencer version you could add some wild rice that is coloured with a little paprika instead of avocado and a couple of teaspoons of coconut cream but coconut cream is extremely high in points. The M&S one retails for about £4 but you could make 2-3 portions of this at home for the same price. Save money and pro points by making your own, it's so easy!