Roasted Butternut Squash & Shallots with Tahini-Za'atar Drizzle

The Middle Eastern flavor profile is so satisfying.  Nutty, earthy, and zingy flavors work harmoniously to create complex tasting dishes with minimal ingredients. Common ingredients include pine nuts, chickpeas, za'atar (blend of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds), lemon, mint, parsley, dates, & figs.  I get my Middle Eastern fix on a regular basis when I eat hummus with my lunchtime crudités.

Nutrition Highlight: Tahini

Tahini is made from hulled, ground sesame seeds and is a standard ingredient in Middle Eastern kitchens. It adds a wonderful nutty flavor and rich mouthfeel to food. Tahini-lemon dressings are particularly delicious on kale salads. 

Tahini is rich in copper, thiamin, and phytosterols. It is a decent source of calcium, but should not be your main source if you're on a non-dairy diet. One tablespoon of tahini has 6% of your daily value for calcium, but it's not something intended to be eaten by the spoonful.

Copper

• antioxidant that prevents damage to cells, thus inhibiting cancer
• helps body use iron
• people who are usually deficient= those with anemia and osteoporosis

Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

• strengthens the immune system
• aids in proper functioning of muscles, brain, & heart
• people who are usually deficient= alcoholics, anorexics, people with Crohn's disease (type of inflammatory bowel disease)

Phytosterols

• lower cholesterol
• reduce risk of cancer

Cooking Tip

Grate garlic, don't mince it.

I recently discovered the magic of grating garlic on a microplane. It's so much easier than mincing the cloves with a knife.  Your hands don't get sticky, and you extract much more garlic flavor from each clove.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Shallots with Tahini-Za’atar Drizzle  
Printable Recipe

Squash and rye berries are an excellent combination, so I suggest serving this dish on top of rye berries with some microwaved or baked salmon.

1/2 large butternut squash (4 c) or 1 small, seeded and cut into cubes  (roast the whole thing, freeze half of the cubes) 

4 large shallots, halved (or 1 small red onion, wedged) 
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Tahini Drizzle
1 1/2 T tahini paste

2 T water
1 T lemon juice

1 garlic clove, grated
a handful of butternut squash seeds, pepitas, pine nuts
1 tsp Za’atar

minced parsley, garnish

cooked rye berries

salmon

1. Preheat the oven to 450º. Toss butternut cubes and shallots with olive olive and salt and pepper in a large bowl, then pour onto a baking sheet (lined with a silpat) and roast until cooked through and lightly browned, about 35 minutes. If the onions start to get too dark before the squash is ready, pull them out of the pan. If using shallots, add them 10 minutes into the roasting time.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini & water, lemon juice, and garlic, and salt until smooth. Sauce should drip off your spoon easily.  

4. Gently toss the squash with the tahini drizzle. Sprinkle each serving with minced parsley and seeds. Makes 4 servings.