Recently, I've decided to try and eat a few meals a week that don't involve meat or dairy. No, I am not ready to give up cheeseburgers entirely. But I do want to cut back on these factory produced foods that are often laced with hormones and antibiotics. So I am gathering recipes that consist mostly of grains, beans, nuts and vegetables. In that spirit, I offer you this delicious salad of chickpeas and roasted butternut squash with a tahini dressing. It has all the flavors of hummus, with the addition of the sweet butternut squash. Many kids I know, including my own, like hummus and squash, so there is hope that they will like this. If they are picky about foods mixed together, you could save a few plain chickpeas and chunks of roasted squash for the kids, then mix the rest up with dressing for the adults. It's so good, you won't even notice it's vegan.

Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 ½ lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ of a medium red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

For tahini sauce:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
3 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. well-stirred tahini
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 425.

Combine the butternut squash, garlic, olive oil, and a good pinch or two of salt.Toss until the squash pieces are evenly coated. Roast for 15 to 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well. Add more olive oil or lemon juice to taste.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add tahini sauce and toss.

This is also great leftover. Just microwave for a bit to take the chill off.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!
WEEKEND: Relax!