Butternut & Broccoli Super Salad With Mackerel

I don't know about you, but I think Butternut Squash has really grown in popularity in recent years. This recipe does use a mixture of butternut squash, green beans and broccoli and makes for a great vibrant, crunchy and extra-nutritious vegetable salad. Served with tasty mackerel - packed with omega-3, it makes for a very healthy recipe. 

The dressing makes it a bit more interesting and flavour-some. You may, if preferred, use smoked mackerel with it though rather than fresh. This also means you'll have one less pan to wash! If you do it this way you may want to consider baking the butternut squash in the oven instead of pan frying.

As always the recipe idea is for you to choose how it will best suit you and your family. But do please read on and see what you think... and hey, I know many people like to eat fish on Friday, but any day of the week is good for eating fish - it's so healthy!

Ingredients:
Serves Two

12g carbs per serving

1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
200g butternut squash (about ½ small squash), cut into 2cm chunks
85g green beans, trimmed and halved
140g thin-stemmed broccoli, halved vertically
1 tbsp pumpkin seed
4 x mackerel fillets, bones removed

Method:
1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, 2 tsp of the oil and a little seasoning together in a large bowl.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Add the squash to the frying pan, season and cook, stirring, for 12-15 mins. Add the beans to the water, cook for 1 min, then add the broccoli and cook for 3 mins more. Drain well.
3. Tip the squash into the bowl with the dressing. Add the beans, broccoli and pumpkin seeds, toss well to combine and set aside. Cook the fish in the frying pan, skin-side down, for 2 mins, then flip over and cook for a further 1-2 mins until cooked through.
4. Divide the salad between the plates, top with the mackerel and drizzle over any dressing left in the bowl.

Please see original recipe idea here

Butternut squash, ripe fruits

Butternut squash seed cross section

Although a fruit, butternut squash is used as a vegetable that can be roasted, toasted, pureed for soups, mashed and used in casseroles.

In Australia it is regarded as a pumpkin, and is used interchangeably with other types of pumpkin.

Butternut squash finds common use in South Africa. It is often prepared as soup or grilled whole. Grilled butternut is typically seasoned with spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon, or stuffed ... for example spinach and feta before wrapped in foil and then grilled. The grilled butternut is often served as a side dish to braais (barbecues) and the soup as a starter dish.

It is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium and potassium. It is also an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E.

Preparation:
The fruit is prepared by removing the skin, stalk, and seeds, which are not usually eaten or cooked. However, the seeds are edible, either raw or roasted, and the skin is also edible and softens when roasted. One of the most common ways to prepare butternut squash is roasting. To do this, the squash is cut in half lengthwise, lightly brushed with cooking oil, and placed cut side down on a baking sheet. It is then baked for 45 minutes or until it is softened. Once roasted, it can be eaten in a variety of ways.

The above information taken from here

All the best Jan