Chrissy Teigen is a master of cravings; she knows how to spark them, and she certainly knows how to quench them.
Mrs. John Ledgend and mama of two is active in the kitchen, and we could watch her cooking escapades on Instagram all day — from juicy ribs to tangy lime tarts (remember that time she accidentally ended up with a few pounds of the fruit instead of just a few small pieces? Still laughing.). Chrissy’s debut cookbook, Cravings, gave us a taste but left us hungry for more — namely, the follow-up cookbook she just released last month.
As the title suggests, Cravings: Hungry for More is full of flavorful, exciting and actually attainable dishes that are meant to be enjoyed, not just eaten as fuel alone. Among the rich and really delicious-looking recipes, there are a few healthy moments that shine through, like this autumn-y squash and pomegranate salad. Here’s what Chrissy has to say about it: Salads can be so basic. Why bother? Wellllllllll because roasted squash and little pom jewels that burst in your mouth and creamy goat cheese and a dressing you’ll want to put on all your other green leafy things are magic.
Roasted Butternut Squash + Pomegranate Salad with Garlicky Honey-Dijon Dressing
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
For the squash:
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups 1⁄2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (note: 11⁄2 cooked pounds from a 21⁄4-pound whole squash)
11⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
For the dressing:
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, grated or smashed into a paste
1⁄4 tsp kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
For the salad:
5 cups baby arugula
1⁄2 cup pomegranate seeds (or finely diced green apple)
1⁄4 cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup crumbled goat cheese (4 ounces)
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and pour 2 Tbsp of oil on lined sheet. Place oiled sheet in oven (yep, nothing on it) and heat until very hot but not smoking, about 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss squash with remaining 1 Tbsp oil, salt, pepper and cayenne until coated. Using an oven mitt, remove hot baking sheet from oven and quickly pour the squash onto the sheet (you should hear some sizzling). Make sure the flat sides of the squash are hitting the hot oiled pan.
Roast until the undersides are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven, shake the pan (or flip the squash with tongs if you’re down with OCD, yeah you know me), return to the oven and roast until the new underside is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temp or just warm (so it doesn’t murder the greens when you drop them on).
Make the dressing: In a screw-top jar, shake the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, pepper and oil until it’s creamy. (If separates, just shake again.)
