Crunchy Squash and Pineapple Salad

INGREDIENTS

SUBSTITUTIONS

CACAO NIBS: 70, 80 or 90% dark chocolate (cut thinly with a sharp knife)

CIDER VINEGAR: Apple cider vinegar or most other vinegars except white vinegar

SERVE WITH

• Optional: Garnish with fresh cilantro, lemon zest

• Hispanic-Caribbean Sunday Skirt Steak

1 Crunchy Squash and Pineapple Salad Seasoning Card:

• 1 tsp (2 pods) Ceylon Cinnamon

• 1 tsp (2 pods) Allspice Berries

• 1 tsp (2 pods) Allspice Powder

• 1 tsp (2 pods) Smoked Pimentón Paprika

FRESH

• Half of a whole pineapple

• 2 lbs whole squash, either Delicata or Kabocha

• 5 garlic cloves, divided

• 8-9oz or 240g salad greens (watercress, arugula or mixed)

PANTRY

• ¼1/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided

• 1 Tbsp olive oil, for the squash

• 1/4 cup extra virgin oil, for the vinaigrette, plus more for garnish

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• ⅓ cup toasted green pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

• 1 Tbsp cacao nibs
  

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. PREP: Core and peel the pineapple and cut in half. For advice on how to select, core and peel a pineapple, check out this video . Peel and seed the squash and cut in half. To make the brown sugar simple syrup, combine brown sugar with ¼ cup water in a small sauce pan and heat until boiling. Immediately remove from heat and cool. Divide into ¼ cup for the pineapple, and 2 Tbsp for the vinaigrette, then set aside. Mince 1 garlic clove and set aside. Mash 4 garlic cloves and set aside.
  
  2. COOK THE PINEAPPLE: Heat the oven to broil on high. (Note: you can broil the pineapple and the squash at the same time if your oven is big enough.) Place the pineapple on a baking sheet. Take the ¼ cup of brown sugar simple syrup and brush about half of it onto one side of the pineapple. Broil the pineapple about 4 inches from the heat source for 8 minutes. Remove the pineapple from the oven, brush the other side with the remainder of the ¼ cup simple syrup, and return to broil for 8 more minutes. Remove the pineapple from the oven and cut into horizontal strips, cutting with the grain, and set aside.

3. COOK THE SQUASH: In a bowl, combine 2 Ceylon Cinnamon pods, 2 Allspice Berry pods, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 minced garlic clove with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Place the squash in the bowl and coat all over with the mixture. Once coated, place the squash on a baking sheet and broil about 4 inches from the heat source for 8 minutes. Then remove and turn over the squash and return to broil for 8 more minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and cut into long strips and set aside.

4. MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together 4 mashed garlic cloves, 2 Ground Allspice pods, ½ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp of brown sugar simple syrup, ½ cup olive oil and cider vinegar.

5. COMBINE AND PLATE: In a large bowl, toss the pineapple and squash strips with the vinaigrette and toasted pumpkin seeds. Add a generous handful of salad greens to each plate and place a few strips each of the pineapple and squash on top. In a small bowl, mix together 2 Smoked Pimentón Paprika pods with cacao nibs. Sprinkle each salad with the mixture evenly and drizzle each salad with a restrained splash of olive oil. For an added kick, garnish with cilantro leaves and fresh lemon zest. Eat until occo!

6. PRESERVE: To enjoy this salad for multiple nights in a row, keep the pineapple and squash in a tightly sealed container and assemble with salad greens just before serving. The pineapple and squash will keep for up to 1½ weeks in the refrigerator.