This easy and festive warm salad will be everyone’s new holiday favourite!
Christmas Eve is probably my favourite night of the year, even now more than ever because of my three kids. The entire day and night are full of anticipation and magic as they await Santa’s arrival.
We usually host at our house, and spend the day doing fun wintery activities like tobogganing and skating, and then end the day at our house where we put out a spread of our favourite appetizers and salads for everyone to enjoy (this is the best part – the food!).
As a registered dietitian, I admit, I do try to balance things out with a few veggie and fruit-focused dishes (to go along with the amazingly delicious, not-so-nutritious ones that we love so much).
The holidays are so full of rich, indulgent foods, that I feel better knowing that there are some nutritious options on the table.
This Warm Butternut Squash and Lentil Salad is one of my favourites, because it’s not only beautifully colourful and festive, but it’s also extremely easy to prepare, and loaded full of fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
My star ingredients? A ready-made vegetable blend, which is full of things like Kale, Kohlrabi, Brussel Sprouts and carrots, and Butternut Squash Zigzags (my kids love the shape of these!).
They’re fresh veggies that are pre-washed and cut, which makes my life SO much easier. This salad makes the perfect addition to our Christmas Eve spread, but it also makes for a great turkey dinner side dish (or, quite honestly, a meal on its own!). I even love it as leftovers, for lunch the next day.
Easy Warm Butternut Squash, Lentil and Cranberry Salad
This easy and festive warm salad will be everyone's new holiday favourite!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup Mann's Butternut Squash Zigzags (sliced into smaller pieces)
- 1 package Mann's Power Blend
- 1 can of lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup red quinoa, cooked
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup feta cheese
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup pasteurized honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp lemon or orange juice
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Vinaigrette:
- Whisk together all ingredients except for the olive oil. Once whisked well, add olive oil gradually, whisking constantly.
Salad:
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet
- Add Mann’s Butternut Squash Zigzags, Mann’s Power Blend and salt and pepper and saute until tender-crisp (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add cooked quinoa and lentils and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle with pecans, feta cheese and cranberries. Drizzle vinaigrette dressing on top and toss lightly before serving!
![[AD] Who else loves a quick, one-pot meal for the busy back-to-school season? 🙋♀️
As a dietitian and mom, I’m all about recipes that are quick, affordable, nourishing, and of course, delicious. That’s why I’ve teamed up with my friends at L’Ancêtre Cheese to bring you my Homemade One-Pot Hamburger Helper—perfect for weeknight dinners and makes awesome leftovers for lunchboxes too!
What I love most? You can toss everything—beef, pasta, veggies—into one pot, saving time and dishes! Plus, @ancetrecheese , made locally here in Canada from pasture-fed cows, adds that perfect cheesy touch. It’s organic, sustainably produced, and absolutely delicious. 🧀
What you need:
* 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
* 4 cups uncooked whole grain, regular or gluten-free pasta noodles (like rotini or macaroni)
* ½ yellow onion, diced
* 2 cups veggies of choice, diced (eg. mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc.)
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp pepper
* 1.5 cups milk of choice
* 1.5 cups chicken broth
* 1-680 mL jar tomato pasta sauce
* 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
* Tsp red pepper flakes
* 3 cups L’Ancêtre’s Marbled Mild Cheddar
Put it all together:
1. Cook beef in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned, then drain. Add onion, garlic, red pepper, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook until veggies are tender-crisp.
2. Mix in milk, broth, tomato sauce, and uncooked macaroni. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring often. Adjust liquid as needed.
3. Remove from heat, stir in frozen peas and 1 cup of cheese until melted. Transfer to a casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake at 375°F for 5-10 minutes until golden. Cool before serving.
Make sure to pick up L’Ancêtre cheese (either a family-sized block or pre-shredded) at a local retailer near you! Visit https://www.fromagerieancetre.com/en/cheeses/ to find out more!
#Ad #Partner #BackToSchool #LunchboxIdeas #OrganicCheese #FamilyMeals #LAncetreCheese](https://www.sarahremmer.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/459558167_1543212989903442_998663133378052381_nfull.webp)
![👇[AD] Dietitian-approved “snack lunches” that my kids love, in partnership with my friends at @naturesbakery 💜
Make sure to comment “snack lunch” and I’ll send you a free school-lunch cheat sheet 🙌🏻
Let’s be honest, the items kids get most excited about in their school lunches are the... snacks! So, why not build a meal-worthy “snack lunch” that your kids can be excited about opening and enjoying?
We do this often, and for good reason. It’s quick and easy for me (yay!), and my kids love helping pack them. Plus, these lunches can be just as nourishing as a “traditional” lunch. Bonus: the most often get eaten!
Here’s my “rule of 4” for building these lunches, ensuring they’re packed with the nutrients my kids need for the day:
1️⃣ Whole grains/starches
2️⃣ Protein-rich foods
3️⃣ Fruit
4️⃣ Veggies
As a dietitian Mom, I’m a huge fan of including @naturesbakery Fig Bars in my kids’ lunches. Not only do they always get eaten (aka my kids love them), but I love that they contain a simple ingredients list with whole grains and real fruit. They’re also plant-based, dairy-free and nut-free (making them perfect for school lunches!).
A typical “snack lunch” might look like this:
Charcuterie-Style
* Meats, cheese and crackers; for plant-based families, you could swap the meat and cheese with smoked tofu slices, tempeh strips or plant-based deli slices, plant-based cheeses, and hummus, roasted chickpeas or edamame.
* Cut up fruit
* Chia pudding
* A Nature’s Bakery Raspberry Fig Bar (plant-based, dairy-free, and nut-free!)
Mediterranean-focused:
* mini naan bread/pita
* Hummus
* mini caprese salad skewers
* Nature’s Bakery Blueberry Fig Bar
* Fruit
* Dried chickpeas
Fun Finger Foods:
* energy bites
* edamame beans
* Seed and banana roll-ups
* string cheese (or dairy-free alternative)
* Nature’s Bakery Raspberry Fig Bar
* Mini carrots
If you think your kids will love snack lunches, comment “snack lunch” below for a free school lunch cheat sheet ❤️
#Ad #Partner #NaturesBakery #SnackLunch #SchoolLunchIdeas #DietitianApproved #PlantBasedSnacks](https://www.sarahremmer.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/458372728_522285503507501_4269903014098073865_nfull.webp)
Comments
Lakhbir Singh says
Looks very tasty and healthy. Will try it today itself.
Aleda says
Where do you find Mann’s butternut squash zig zags?
Sarah Remmer says
Hi Aleda. Often times they are in the bagged salad section 🙂
Stephanie says
This recipe looks delicious! I will definitely give it a try! Best, Stephanie
Diane Wilkins says
This looks great and the perfect meal to remind you how amazingly delicious healthy homemade food tastes. it contains everything i love and is so healthy and delicious!
Sarah Remmer says
It’s one of my favourite salads! And so easy!