Butternut squash and Arugula Bulgur Salad

I bought some nice butternut squash over the week-end and thought it would be a great opportunity to try this recipe, since I had all of the ingredients in my fridge. I roasted the squash as directed, whisked my vinaigrette as told, and cooked my brown rice according to the instructions on the bag... until I realized that my rice was some cheap brown rice that had been hibernating for too long in my cupboard and it now had this cardboard taste to it. Oh no, what was I going to do! Luckily I had some bulgur as a back-up, which tastes very much like brown rice. I accompanied this salad with zucchini patties and oven-roasted potatoes.

Cook and prep time: 30 minutes

Serves 6 hungry bellies

Ingredients 

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2 cm cubes pieces
  
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup of roasted green pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  
• 1 bag (about 5 ounces) baby arugula, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Place rack in center of oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Peel, deseed and cut squash into cubes. In a bowl, toss the butternut squash with olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Transfer squash on a baking sheet, making sure they are evenly spaced. Roast squash for 15-20 minutes, until browned. Flip and roast another 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and add bulgur. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic and brown sugar. Add about 3/4 of the cooked bulgur and toss to coat. Add the squash, pumpkin seeds, and arugula to bulgur and gently mix.
6. If you find that the lemon and garlic taste too much, add more bulgur.

The original recipe can be found here