Arugula

Sugar Snap Peas or Spinach or Bok Choy

1/2 cup raw pecans
7 ounces arugula (organic when possible)
2 small apples (1 tart, 1 sweet // peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise)
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and arrange pecans on a bare baking sheet.
Bake pecans for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant and deep golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
While pecans are toasting, prep remaining salad ingredients and add to a large mixing bowl.
Prepare dressing in a mixing bowl or mason jar by adding all ingredients and whisking or shaking vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed.
Add pecans to salad and top with dressing. Toss to combine and serve immediately. Serves two as an entrée and 4 as a side (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
Store leftovers (dressing separate from salad) covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (though best when fresh). Dressing should keep at room temperature for 2-3 days when well sealed.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
To roast the squash: cut the top stems off and cut in half. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds. Then cut the squash into quarters and place cut-side-down, in a roasting pan or dish. Add about ½-inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast at 425 degrees F for 35-45 minutes. When the squash is tender enough to scoop out the flesh with a spoon, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the quinoa stuffing: peel and mince the shallots and combine with quinoa in a medium pot. Cover and toast over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the quinoa starts to “pop”. Add 1 cup of water and cover. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes. When the quinoa is tender, remove the lid and fluff. Let cool a few minutes in the pot. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the rest of the stuffing.
Place the hazelnuts in the 425 degrees F oven and toast 10-12 minutes until slightly darkened. When the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, roll them in a clean kitchen towel. This will help the skins peel off. You want to get at least half of the skins off as they are bitter tasting. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.

VARIATION: Toast any kind of nut you have in a skillet on low heat until slightly browned.

Core and dice the apple and place in a large bowl. Add the cider vinegar and stir to well coat the apple. This will help prevent the apple from browning.
Roughly chop the spinach and mint.
To assemble the stuffing: Combine the quinoa, hazelnuts, apple, mint, spinach, scooped-out squash, and salt. Stir well to combine. Scoop the stuffing into your squash shells. Cover and bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes, just until warmed, and then serve.