Cous cous stuffed butternut squash

Sorry no pic at the moment, I haven't taken one yet!  Will put one up soon.

Ingredients 

1 butternut squash

1 packets Asda giant Mediterranean cous cous

1/2 packet feta cheese 

1 onion

6 small mushrooms

1 pepper 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Cut butternut squash in half, put one half aside (see other squash recipe!).  Scoop out the seeds to leave a clean hollow.  Gently with a sharp knife, cut lines lengthways in the squash flesh without piercing the skin, do the same across the squash to make cubes in the flesh again without piercing the skin.

Rub the flesh with olive oil.

Put squash into a roasting tin flesh side up and roast in oven for an hour or until flesh is squishy.

Whilst the squash is roasting, make up the cous cous as the packet describes and leave to cook.  Chop the onion into small pieces and saute in a pan, once soft add the chopped pepper and mushrooms and stir until cooked.  Add the couscous and a little stock or wine to make it not so dry.  Chop up the feta and add and scoop a little of the squash out of the flesh to make a boat shape and add the squash to the couscous mix.

Divide the couscous mix up between the two pieces of squash and then put back in the oven for 10 mins just to toast the cheese slightly.

Serve with a green salad.

Butternut Squash, lentil and goats cheese salad

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1 bag baby leaf salad

1 butternut squash

1 tin green put lentils

1 log soft goats cheese

Balsamic glaze (Asda do a good one)

Cracked black pepper

Chilli salt

Put oven on at 180 degrees.

Cut butternut squash in half, put one half aside (see other squash recipe!).  Scoop out the seeds to leave a clean hollow.  Gently with a sharp knife, cut lines lengthways in the squash flesh without piercing the skin, do the same across the squash to make cubes in the flesh again without piercing the skin.

Rub the flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt, I use chilli salt for a little spice.

Put squash into a roasting tin flesh side up and roast in oven for an hour or until flesh is squishy.

Take out of oven once done and allow to cool.

Once cooled, put bag of lettuce leaves in a bowl, add about 2/3 of tin of lentils over the top.  Scoop the flesh out of the butternut squash skin, it should come out in more manageable pieces, and lay on top of the lentils.  Use about half of the goats cheese log, either chop into cubes, or I just break into pieces with my fingers, spread around the salad.

Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.

Vegi lentil pie

This is a new one I invented for healthy eating this January, works out less than 400 calories per portion and they are good sized helpings!  Serves 4 and I served it with a mound of green vegetables :)

• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• 4 large mushrooms, chopped fine
• 100g aubergine, chopped fine
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
• 175g green lentils (soaked overnight)
• 100g buckwheat (soaked overnight)
• Smoked paprika
• Dried chilli, couple of pinches
• 1 x 400g chopped tomatoes
• 125ml red wine (can be removed)
• 500ml boiling water
• 1 chicken or veg stock cube
• 1 large sweet potato slice in 2mm slices
• A few slices of goats cheese (if wanted)

I used a shallow round casserole with a lid, started with the oven at 150 degrees.

Sauted the onion and garlic in the casserole on the hob until soft, add the mushroom and aubergine and cook for 5 mins.

Add the chickpeas, lentils and buckwheat and mix well, keep the heat low so they don't stick to the pan.

Add the smoked paprika and chilli and mix well.

Add in the tomatoes, wine, water and stock.  Bring to the boil on the hob and simmer gently whilst you slice the sweet potato.

Carefully lay the potato on the top starting at the outside edge, overlapping the slices in concentric circles towards the middle.

Once the top covered in potatoes, put lid on and place in oven.

Cook for 45 minutes but keep checking the water, add more if it looks like it will boil dry.  After 45 minutes turn oven up to 200 degrees and remove lid, add goats cheese if required and cook for a further 20 minutes to crisp up top.

Serve with green veg.