Fall Veggie Hash

 

Temps in the sixties, leaves glowing reds and oranges and a farmers market full of gourds, pumpkins, squash and apples.  The fall veggies are here and I am super excited to share my favorite fall veggie dishes.  Throughout the next couple of weeks I plan on indulging in these fabulous and healthy treats.

I believe my sister was the first to make a version of this brussel sprout, butternut squash salad.  It reminds me of a Thankgiving dressing sans the bread or even a hash.  I changed it a bit from Ana’s version by adding some kale to add some texture to this flavorful mix of veggies. 

Fall Veggie Hash

1 medium butternut squash

1 lb of Brussel sprouts

1 bunch of kale

1 lb of Whole Foods Italian Chicken Sausage

2 lemons

Pepper flakes

Olive Oil

Garlic

Salt and pepper

Fresh Thyme

Fennel seeds

To soften up the butternut squash for chopping, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.  When it cools peel and chop the squash into ¾ inch cubes.  Place these on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with some salt, pepper, chopped thyme and pepper flakes.  Drizzle the squash with some olive oil and toss with your fingers to make sure every piece of squash is covered in herbs and seasonings.  Bake at 425 for about 35-40 minutes or until the squash is caramelized on the outside and soft to a knife.  

While the squash is baking, peel and split the Brussel sprouts.  In a large sauté pan, heat up some olive oil and add the Brussel sprout the hot pan, season with salt and pepper.  Allow the sprouts to develop a bright green color.  If the Brussel sprouts are browning too fast, yet not softening, add a little bit of water to the sauté pan and turn down the heat.   When they are al dente and have developed a caramel color remove them from the heat and place in a large bowl.

On to the sausage…remove the chicken sausage from the casing and add to the sauté pan that was used for the Brussel sprouts.  Add some fennel seeds to the sausage.  The chicken sausage is pretty lean so you might have to add some olive oil if it starts to stick to the pan.  Once it’s cooked place it in the same bowl as the Brussel sprouts.

The final veggie to hit the pan is the kale.  Rinse it well and then slice it into one inch pieces. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, one grated garlic clove and some pepper flakes to the sauté pan.  Add the kale to the pan, season with salt and pepper and slowly begin to heat it.  Like spinach, kale cooks down quite a bit and can get pretty soggy.  I like my kale to have texture so I just heat it lightly.  When all the kale is coated in olive oil and is a bright green color, add the juice of one lemon and continue to heat/turn the kale for another couple of minutes.  Add the kale to the bowl with the rest of the cooked ingredients. 

The final dressing of the salad will consist of a drizzle of olive oil the juice of one lemon.   Tear some parsley and toss everything together, add additional salt and pepper if necessary.  

This salad is great with a roasted chicken, a glass of zin on a cold night.