Recipe: Kale and Roasted Squash Salad With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 4 to 8.

Note: Pepitas are often found with bulk grains. To massage kale, cover it with dressing, and squeeze and knead, compressing and releasing the leaves. Massage for at least a minute, or longer, if your kale still seems crunchy. This makes a fluffy 8 cups of salad, enough for 4 main courses or 8 small side salads. If you wait until serving time to add the apples, the salad keeps for three days. Once you cut the apples, they will discolor in a day. From Robin Asbell.

• 1 small Sweet Dumpling or other squash, peeled and sliced

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt

• 2 tbsp. light brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. paprika

• 1/2 c. hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn

• 2 tbsp. maple syrup

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more for apples

• 2 large Honeycrisp apples, sliced

• 1/4 small red onion, slivered

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the sliced squash on an oiled sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the slices and bake for 10 minutes longer. Let cool on a rack.

In a cup, mix the brown sugar, salt and paprika. Have a medium bowl ready for the hot seeds.

In a large sauté pan, warm 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the pumpkin seeds; place over medium heat. Stir and swirl the pepitas until they start to pop and smell toasty. Stir in the sugar mixture, mixing constantly until the sugar is melted and coats the seeds. Then place in the bowl. Let cool.

Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

In a cup, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir to mix well. Pour over the kale in the bowl and massage by hand for 1 to 5 minutes. Taste a piece of kale to see if it's tender, or if you want to massage it longer.

Serve kale topped with squash, apples, red onions and spiced pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:

Calories170Fat9 gSodium390 mg

Carbohydrates22 gSaturated fat1 gTotal sugars14 g

Protein4 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber4 g

Exchanges per serving: ½ fruit, 1 starch, ½ protein, 1 fat.