You know how basil, tomatoes and garlic are like the holy trinity of Italian cooking? Another combo I love is chipolte, lime juice and honey. It is definitely my ‘go to’ dressing when I’m doing something with a Mexican or Southwestern flair. And once I get started with that combo, invariably one of the finishing touches I employ is toasted pumpkin seeds. They just all seem to compliment each other so well.

This dish, like many in the FOODalogue kitchen, began with leftovers!

I had some roasted butternut squash and some nicely charred poblano peppers from 2 separate meals…and the vision began to form in my head. Why not cube it, strip it, and dress it with my favorite combo and make a salsa/salad/side dish?

You could eat it as a salad or side dish.

You could use it as a topping for boneless pork chops?

Or how about a Polenta Cake?

This is a dish that is worth making from scratch. Who knows? You may never have leftover squash and poblanos in your refrigerator at the same time.

The method: Roasted butternut squash cooled down and chopped. Grilled or roasted poblano cut into strips, a few grape tomatoes halved, toasted pumpkin seeds, a handful of cilantro chopped. For the dressing, mix a little olive oil, with freshly squeezed lime juice, a sprinkle of chipolte powder and a tablespoon of honey.

A simple dish packs a whole lot of taste. The levels of flavor surprise with every bite. You get a little heat and smokiness from the poblano and chipolte, sweet from the honey, acid from the lime, and a little crunch from the toasted pumpkin seeds. Who could ask for more?