Milo Member Recipe: Butternut Squash with Sweetcorn Salsa Salad
While January can be a great time to set new goals and healthier habits, there can sometimes be a particular focus on unsustainable and unhealthy dietary food restrictions.
In an attempt to avoid restricting oneself. Why not try shifting that goal-setting mindset to what you can ADD more of into your diet rather than restrict? For example, adding more of a variety of nutritious foods to your diet including vegetables!
Take a look at our Milo member’s ‘Butternut Squash with Sweetcorn Salsa Salad’ to find out more about the nutritional benefits and steps to making this delicious and nourishing recipe!
Nutritional Health Benefits
Alongside the taste, versatility, ease and seasonality of cooking with butternut squash this January. This vegetable provides an array of nutritional health benefits.
It’s powerful anti-oxidant-rich properties play a role in the prevention of oxidative stress and cell damage caused by free radicals. This means that the consumption of anti-oxidants can result in a lower risk of developing chronic diseases.
Butternut squash also contains essential vitamins including A, C and E and minerals including potassium which is involved in health function and muscle contraction and magnesium which serves important functions for muscle, nerve and energy production.
Butternut squash also contains adequate amounts of fibre with approx. one serving (1 cup) providing 3g of fibre. This amount contributes to our daily target of 30g of fibre per day for our gut health!
The addition of deliciously crunchy pumpkin seeds also adds a source of anti-oxidants as well as unsaturated fats including omega-3 fatty acids including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) for our heart and brain health.
Method
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Cut the butternut squash lengthways, seeds scooped out, skin on and cut into 3cm x 8cm wedges
Drizzle a bit of oil onto the roasting tray and add the butternut squash wedges with a pinch of salt and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes
Using a tin of sweetcorn, drain and wash the kernels, add them to a hot pan with olive oil until charred and golden and keep stirring to prevent the corn from catching
Finely grate the zest of 1 large lime plus 4 tbsp of lime juice and add it to the sweet corn
Add 30g of pumpkin seeds to the same pan as the sweetcorn and cook for approx. 5-10 minutes. Option to add a drizzle of olive oil and salt for extra flavour!
Roughly chop the coriander leaves and shred the mint leaves
Drizzle the lime, chilli and olive oil-based dressing with x2-3 tbsp of plain Greek yoghurt and add the coriander and mint leaves
Once cooled, place the sweetcorn into a bowl with the chilli, lime zest and juice, the remaining oil, salt and chopped herbs, mix well and set aside
Arrange the squash on a large platter together with the rocket
Spoon the sweetcorn salsa on top, sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds, add the crumbled feta and drizzle with a little extra olive oil, and ENJOY!
Click the link below to see an example of the final product on Sarah Trouts, Personal Chef Instagram reel!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkylBw4o6VZ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=