There is a restaurant here in town that makes this exact side dish! I love any type of roasted squash, but I was so shocked to find out that I actually enjoyed it with KALE…and mulberries! Have you ever had a mulberry before. Honestly…I didn’t know they existed! Lucky for me, and my weekly Amazon Prime binge sessions I found mulberries on line and got to making one of my favorite dishes at home!
This is a great Thanksgiving side dish or possibly a dish with a baked chicken and smashed potatoes! I only know that pairs well together because i’ve ordered that exact lunch from this restaurant 3 times this week…
I need help.
Roasted Maple Butternut Squash with Kale & Mulberries
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
2 TB. olive oil
2 TB. pure maple syrup
2 TB. brown sugar or coconut sugar
sprinkle of sea salt
1 bag, or 5 ounces sun dried white mulberries
1 TB. butter
2 cups thinly chopped curly kale
2 TB. Pure maple syrup, different from what is being used above
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss the butternut squash with the olive oil, maple syrup, sugar, and salt. Add the squash to the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and. little brown.
While the squash is cooking, grab a medium skillet. Turn the heat to med/low and add the mulberries. Toss them and begin to toast them until their color begins to change to a deeper golden color. You will need to constantly stir them with a rubber spatula so they don’t burn. Once the pan starts to smoke a little and their color has deepened, add the mulberries to a plate and let them cool and harden. Be careful not to overcook.
In the same pan, add the butter. Let it melt and then add the kale. Toss the kale with a rubber spatula and let it cook down. You don't want to become completely wilted, so leave it with a little bite. I let it cook for about 2-4 minutes. Set it aside when done.
Once the squash is done, add your kale and mulberries to the pan. Drizzle with the extra maple syrup and maybe a sprinkle of sea salt to balance out the sweetness.
Serve hot!
Store in an airtight container up to 5 days in the fridge. Cool before refrigerating.