Butternut Squash Salad with Feta Cheese and Olives

 Salty feta cheese and olives are the perfect flavor balance to sweet, caramelized butternut squash in this simple, satisfying side dish. Bulk the salad up with rotisserie chicken and serve over bulgur, rice, or couscous for a hearty fall entree.

Ingredients
8 cups diced butternut squash (from 2 medium squash)
1 red onion, diced
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/3 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together squash, onion, 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper on rimmed baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until squash is browned and tender, 20 to 25, rotating pan on rack after 15 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, honey, oregano, dill, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.

Rosemary And Kalmata Olive Focaccia

Rosemary And Kamata Olive Focaccia

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Servings
Calories 285kcal

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons Oat Fiber (see notes)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary divided
14 Kalamata olives pitted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for 30 seconds or until both are melted.

Add the almond flour, oat fiber, salt, pepper, garlic powder, most of the rosemary (chopped) and baking powder in a bowl and whisk together to combine, then set aside.

Add in the 2 beaten eggs, then mix in the dry ingredients. As the cheese cools, it can become more difficult to mix, so if that happens, microwave the dough for 10 seconds and it should be easier to mix. Make sure the ingredients are fully mixed for a more consistent dough.

The dough will be very sticky, so be sure to oil your hands. Place the dough in an 8 X 8 glass casserole baking dish and spread it out evenly with your hands.

Poke 14 random dimples into the dough. Place the 14 Kalamata olives into each dimple, slightly pushing them into the dough. Brush olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with salt and the remaining rosemary.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the dough has firmed up. Mine too exactly 18 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into 9 pieces.

Serve warm dipped in olive oil, with fresh rosemary and ground pepper. You can also use it to make a sandwich, or serve on the side of a bowl of soup! 

Store leftovers at room temperature in a sealed container or food storage bag for a few days, or freeze. When you are ready to eat, pop in the microwave for 10-15 seconds with a damp paper towel wrapped around it.

NOTES:
You can omit the olives, if you’d like, but they really add a great flavor so I recommend leaving them in!
Be sure to use the prepackaged, preferably part skim, shredded mozzarella cheese in this recipe. Fresh mozzarella contains too much water and your focaccia won’t turn out as it should.

The Oat Fiber is an important ingredient in this recipe, as it adds such an amazing texture, unlike anything else I’ve ever baked with. Therefore, I cannot say any substitution would suffice and still give you that great texture that makes these comparable to traditional focaccia. I use Lifesource Foods Oat Fiber 500 and I buy it in the 16 ounce bag on Amazon (link in the recipe).
Oat Fiber, is not the same as Oat Flour, which is made from grinding oats. Oat Fiber is made from grinding the outside husks of oats and is pure insoluble fiber. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water and are not broken down in the digestive tract.

Shrimp Saganaki

Shrimp Saganaki

Ingredients
2 tablespoons each of extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 plum tomatoes (1 1/4 pounds), coarsely chopped
Salt
Crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined large shrimp, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 ounces Greek feta cheese, crumbled
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and crushed red pepper and cook until softened, crushing them with the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. 

Add the shrimp and olives and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the dill and half of the feta and cook just until the feta is hot, about 1 minute. Transfer to shallow bowls, sprinkle with the remaining feta and serve with crusty bread.

Suggested Pairing
Grapefruit-scented Moschofilero.