I’m constantly creating new recipes with butternut squash- The main reason, it stores for months in the pantry, so pretty much always have one or 2 on hand. The second reason, my husband doesn’t like it, and I’m determined to find a recipe that he’ll eat! The verdict is out on this one because he wouldn’t try it – I swear he would like it though! On top of storing well, butternut squash is also really good for you, it’s super high in vitamin A (1 cup has over 200% of your daily value), and vitamin c (about 50% of your daily value). It also contains a decent amount (about 10% dv or more) of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium and manganese. Look at this beauty!
Four weeks ago this coming Monday, my little one came down with an absolutely, horrendous cold/respiratory cough/ear infection. I felt so bad for him! If you’re a mom, then you know the only thing worse than watching your little one deal with being sick, is watching your little one deal with being sick while you are also sick :(. The worst! Over the last 2 years, I’ve pretty much learned that if my LO gets sick, I get sick – it’s just how it works around here… Well, usually ….Oddly, this time around I didn’t get sick (and believe me, I should have)! What did we do differently? Well, I cooked the same “I’m getting sick” meal plan I always do BUT I added additional side dishes with vitamin A and E, like this gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free Roast Butternut Squash with Cranberries, Sunflower seeds & Honey Vinaigrette (I never paid much attention to my vitamin E intake before but I plan on making sure I do from now on). Now, I have no idea if it was sheer luck, or if this side dish, along with all of my other immune boosting dishes, was enough to boost my immune system BUT I’m adding it to my “I’m getting sick” meal plan from now on.
Usually, when he gets sick I go grocery shopping and get all of the stuff I need to make our “I’m getting sick” meal plan (which I will be posting as soon as I’m done writing the post in a few day). The meal plan started out as a convenience thing (basically, making a whole chicken to have broth and leftovers for soup) but has, over the course of each sickness, been modified to add additional dishes that are easy to prepare and full of nutrients to help boost the immune system. My son has been healthy for a few weeks now but woke up this morning with a stuffy nose and dry cough. I feel a little tickle in my chest too. Looks like I’ll be making this again tonight (and stopping to pick up some spinach to make my garlicky spinach too)!
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (we like it because it withstands high heat - our
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
-
1/2 cup lightly salted sunflower seeds (allergen alert! Lots of seeds are not free of common allergens. We use Lightly Sea Salted Sunflower Seed Kernels by Gerbs - 2 LBS - Top 11 Food Allergen Free & Non GMO - Premium Dry Roasted Seeds - COG USA
, which has an allergen free facility)
-
1/2 cup high quality olive oil (we use Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
)
- 3 tbsp raw honey (preferably local - it can help with allergies if it's local!)
-
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (we use Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
-
1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle avocado oil on a baking sheet and add cubed butternut squash. Bake for about 25 minutes, stirring/flipping once, or until tender. Make the dressing (see below) Once the squash is cooked, toss with dried cranberries and 3 tbsp +/- of the dressing (may need more or less based on your tastes. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds as you serve (if you sprinkle them on the entire batch they'll lose their crunch).
[…] Roast butternut squash with Cranberries, Sunflower Seeds and Honey Vinaigrette. Be sure you roast your butternut squash and set aside about 2 cups to make Roast butternut Squash and Spinach tomorrow. […]