BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ADZUKI BEAN AND ROCKET SALAD

Long day at work? Don’t fancy cooking? Well instead of reaching for convenient food make this healthy, delicious, low fat “fast food” salad. Prep and cooking time combined take less than 30 mins!

Adzuki beans are high in soluble fibre (essential for healthy bowel movements), and rich in many different vitamins and minerals, including potassium, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and several other members of the vitamin B family. They’re also a fantastic source of magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and manganese. They are a also high source of protein and low in fat. You can buy dry adzuki beans and soak them over night; however for time purposes I but them in canned in water (available at most large supermarkets).

To review the properties of butternut squash see my previous post The Wonders of Butternut Squash.

For this recipe I leave the skin on the butternut squash, as once it’s roasted the skin goes nice and soft. I also roast the seeds along with the squash and then sprinkle them over the salad.

INGREDIENTS

1 can adzuki beans

~250g butternut squash

~100g rocket leaves

2 tbsp rosemary

1 tsp olive oil

METHOD

1. Dice the butternut squash into cubes, drizzle over the olive oil and rosemary and mix.
2. Place in a roasting dish and roast in the oven at 180C for approximately 20 mins.
3. Whilst the squash is roasting rinse the adzuki beans and mix in a bowl with the rocket.
4. Once the squash has roasted mix with the beans and rocket.
5. Serve, srinkle with the roasted seeds and enjoy J

*If you don’t like mixing warm and cold ingredients leave the butternut squash to cool before adding to the other ingredients.

**You could also accompany this salad with some warm wholemeal rustic bread.

*Bon Appetitie* J