roasted acorn squash, kale and cannellini bean salad

whoooosh.

did you hear that?

the holidays are officially here. they swiftly swooped down upon us and have settled in for a while.

holiday parties, gingerbread men, lighting the menorah, hot chocolate with peppermint shnappes, egg nog spiked with bourbon, frying latkes, shopping until you d r o p.

with all the rich food, cocktails and general busy-ness that go hand in hand with the holidays, sometimes you just need to give your stomach and your soul a little break.

draw a tall glass of water (walk away from the bourbon) and cook yourself a delicious, healthy, hearty meal of a warm roasted acorn squash, kale and cannellini bean salad. add some shaved parm if you don't feel the need for it to be vegan...

slice up some acorn squash into 1/2 inch thick half moons and drizzle with olive oil.

arrange the slices prettily on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast @ 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

whisk some balsamic vinegar (pomegranate if you have it) and honey in a small bowl

chop up a shallot and a garlic clove. don't you just love the pretty pinky-purple color of shallots when they are all chopped up? i do. saute them in some olive oil, then add the vinegars and cook for a few minutes.

drizzle the squash with the honey + balsamic mixture and roast for 5 more minutes. put the beans and kale together in the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes.

warm roasted acorn squash, kale and cannellini bean salad

slightly adapted from whole living

2 medium acorn squashes (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded, remove outer rind (i left it on but next time will remove it before roasting)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 bunch kale, large stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

shaved parm-reg to garnish

preheat oven to 400 degrees. cut squashes into 1/2-inch-thick semicircles. toss with 1 teaspoon oil, and spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. bake until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes. mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. brush some of the mixture onto squash slices; reserve remaining mixture. bake for 5 minutes more.

heat remaining tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. add shallot and garlic, and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. add apple cider vinegar and remaining vinegar-honey mixture to saucepan, and bring to a boil. immediately add kale, and sprinkle with salt and season with pepper. add beans. saute kale and beans until kale wilts slightly, 5-7 minutes. sprinkle with parm-reg cheese. serve warm or at room temperature.