Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spiced Cous Cous, Seasonal Vegetables and Pine Nuts, Served with Minty Mushy Peas

There is only one way that I can start my first blog post of 2016 and that’s with saying a massive HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you wonderful people!!!

I for one am pretty exciting about what this year has in store, especially from my kitchen; although we do have a tonne of cheese and Christmas naughties that still need eating, so the health kick will start later this year (I currently have a glass of wine in hand and a chorizo and goats cheese pasta bake in the oven!). Luckily, I have a lot of delicious recipes that I have ‘prepared earlier’, so have plenty of healthy(ish) delights to share with you.

This recipe came about because one of my closest friends has recently turned vegan and asked if I had any good vegan recipes. Looking through the hundreds of posts I have shared I realised that I officially eat Waaaaaay too much cheese, so have now made it my aim to cook one vegan dish a week. Not only will this be healthy, but will also get me trying out new styles of cooking, different foods and hopefully awesome flavours – I can’t wait!!!

Serves 4

For the Squash

• 2 medium sized squash
• Drizzle olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the filling

• Courgette – finely chopped
• Splash oil
• 1 red onion – finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic – peeled and finely chopped
• 1 chilli – deseeded and finely chopped
• 60g cous cous – cooked with 1 vegetable stock cube, according to the pack instructions
• 1 carrot – grated
• 2 cooked beetroot, cut into small cubes
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• Pinch oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 2 spring onions – sliced
• 2 tbsp pine nuts

For the Minty Mushy Peas

• 150g broccoli – blitzed in a food processor until fine
• 4 handfuls of peas
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 2 tsp mint sauce
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180’C

Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Rub all over with oil and a twist of salt and pepper and then bake in the oven for 50 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the filling.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft

Add the courgette and cook for a further 6-8 minutes before adding the garlic and chilli for another 2 minutes to cook off the crunch.

Mix together the cooked vegetables with all the other filling ingredients.

Once the squash is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cook slightly.

Scoop out the filling from the tail of the squash so you are left with a boat to fill.

Lightly mash the filling you have scooped out and stir this into the cous cous.

Fill your boats with the cous cous and then return to the oven for a final 15 minutes.

To make your mushy peas, cook your broccoli and peas in a saucepan with the stock.

Once the peas have softened, crush with a potato masher and then simmer until the liquid has reduced.

Add the mint sauce and oil and then season to taste.

Dish out your squash and service with a dollop of the minty peas.