Orange is the on-trend color for food this season. Healthy bright orange spice roasted pumpkin is tossed with rich rosey harissa infused chickpeas, fresh herbs and millet, making this a grain free bowl. Caliente, yes this is not a whimpy salad, a warming winter little jewel.
EATING LIGHTER
Eating lighter does mean you need to skimp on flavor. This salad is substantial, and when finished with fresh fruit and maybe some dates, makes a saitisfying meat-less meal. Growing up is LA spicy food is my default, so making a flavor packed bowl just came naturally.
Components really are what make this salad, but all can be made ahead, then just toss together when ready to serve. With an abundence of fresh pumpkin still hanging around the kitchen after the holidays I needed to get busy. Recalling a wonderful Spice Roasted Pumpkin with Burrata recipe I posted, I mixed up the spices and began roasting.
Next, a recipe from a favorite vegan cookbook Neighborhood, popped in my mind that inluded roasted squash with couscous – this could work with millet and change out the chermoula (which I did not have ) for spicy harissa. The recipe came together.
Adaptable yes. You can make this salad as spicy or not as you like: adjust the amount of spice rub on the pumpkin, use just a just dash of harissa and a much tamer version of the salad emerges. Use another fall squash, such as butternut squash, use quinoa or rice for the grain, and add your favorite herbs.
Here at Bijouxs I work with balancing the recipes between traditional and surprising. This surprising combination of spicy, sweet and hot make this salad a little jewel.
As always, enjoy. B
