Moroccan Squash Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 lbs butternut squash (aka buttercup squash...bright orange inside)
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar (or use a sugar alternative such as agave)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Optional
2 cups cucumbers, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 red onion, minced
1 cup radish, diced

Preparation

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Meanwhile, prepare the squash by peeling/cutting off the hard skin. Cut in half and scoop the seeds out, then chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Cook the squash in the boiling water until knife tender, roughly 6-10 minutes. Add in the raisins for the last minute of cooking. Rather than just testing with a knife, take a piece out and try it to be sure you like the consistency. Strain and rinse well under cold water to cool everything down - set aside.
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne.
Add the cooled down squash and raisins to a large bowl, toss in the parsley, the almonds, any optional ingredients and the dressing. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!