Pamela
Salzman’s Six Pantry Swaps
Out: Harsh table salt
In: Moderate amounts of mineral-rich unrefined salts—Celtic, Himalayan, or Maldon—can be healing.
Out: Overprocessed oils such as corn, canola, and soybean
In: Cold-pressed olive, coconut, and sesame oils; they boost immunity.
Out: Acid-forming, nonnutritive, addictive white sugar
In: Limited doses of pure maple or brown-rice syrups, stevia, and raw honey
Out: Too much gluten-laden wheat, spelt, rye, and barley
In: Brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, legumes, sweet potatoes, and corn
Out: Nutrient-stripped white flour
In: Whole wheat and rice flours. Whole wheat pastry flour subs well for white.
Out: Mass-produced, hormone-riddled animal meat
In: Happier animals raised in their natural environments; find sources at localharvest.org.
Butternut Squash Salad With Pomegranates And Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
serves 6-8
1/3 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chopped pecans
¼ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon
1 3-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾ -inch dice
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (I accidentally left it out in this picture.)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces mixed baby greens
½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Dressing:
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh pomegranate juice (or orange juice)
½ teaspoon sea salt
A few twists of freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons maple syrup or raw honey
6-7 Tablespoons cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the pumpkin seeds in a skillet and toast over low heat until lightly browned. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Remove from heat and set aside. Try not to eat them all while you’re cooking everything else.
- Toss the squash with thyme and olive oil and place on 2 baking sheets. Season with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, turning once until tender and caramelized.
- For the dressing: in a small bowl combine lemon juice, pomegranate juice, shallot, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
- Place salad greens on a platter and toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Separately drizzle the butternut squash with some dressing and add to the greens. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds. Taste for salt and pepper.
Notes: Dressing can be made a few days ahead and kept refrigerated.
Pumpkin seeds can be toasted the day before.
Salad greens can be washed and dried a few days in advance and rolled up in a damp kitchen towel or plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator.
Butternut squash can be cut up the day before and kept refrigerated.
Pomegranate can be seeded several days in advance and kept refrigerated.
A few moments with Pamela . . .
1) How long have you been teaching and creating recipes and why did you start?
2) Were you a particularly picky eater as a child?
3) What is your favorite restaurant?
4) What is your beverage of choice?
5) What book is on your night stand?
6) If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I honestly love living in Manhattan Beach, where we are now. But if my husband told me we had to move to Tuscany tomorrow, I’d say “I’ll get the suitcases.”
Thank you so so much for the break down of the “Outs” and “Ins.” I am surprised that some of those grains did not make the “in” list, but I understand the gluten issue. Great interview – I love that she keeps cookbooks on her night stand, love it.
This salad was the talk of my holiday party. The texture, the colors, the taste, the dressing-they loved lived it. At 400 degrees, my squash started burning after 20 min so def watch it. Making it again for a potluck this week. Fantastic salad!