SERVES
4
COOKING TIME
60 minutes
This is butternut squash at its best! Delicious as a main dish by itself, but also good to combine with duck breast, shrimps or grilled halloumi cheese.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 butternut squash (ca. 1 kg)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp sea salt/Himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 small clove of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme (only leaves required)
- 100 g quinoa
- 250 ml vegetable stock cube
- 1 large potato or a sweet potato if preferred
- 2 medium-sized oranges
- 1 lemon (washed)
- 2 baby romaine lettuces or 2 chicory (Belgian endive)
- 5 g fresh chives
- Pomegranate seeds (optional)
METHOD
- Heat the oven to 200 °C. Halve the butternut squash lengthways and remove the seeds and stringy inner. Remove the hard skin from both halves using a peeler or sharp knife laying the cut side down on a chopping board. Then cut with the knife width-ways in slices of 4 mm, but do not cut all the way through, leave about 1cm (tip: if you lay a wooden spoon each side of the squash lengthways, when you cut across, as you make contact with the spoons pull the knife out, this will avoid cutting too far). Lay each half cut-side down onto a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper, cover with ⅓ of the coconut oil and sprinkle with the salt. Cook for 50 min. in in the middle of the oven.
- Meanwhile, warm the maple syrup with the butter. TIP: if you prefer something a little spicier and aromatic add in any spices (chilli flakes, ras-el-hanout, cayenne pepper, paprika, etc). After the butternut squash has been in the oven for 20 min. take out and brush each half with the maple syrup/butter mixture. Bake for a further 30 min. in the middle of the oven and every 10 min. brush with the syrup mix.
- Meanwhile prepare the quinoa. Heat half the olive oil in a pan and fry the shallot, garlic and thyme. Add in the quinoa and mix. Add in the vegetable stock and cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packet. Season to taste with pepper and if desired salt.
- Prepare the potato cubes. Peel the potato and cut it into ½ cm cubes. Rinse in a colander and dab them dry. Heat the remaining coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the potato cubes golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Peel the oranges, cut into slices and grate the lemon rind. Cut the baby lettuces or the chicory in 6 piece and brush the cut side with the rest of the olive oil. Heat a grill pan without oil or butter and grill the lettuces or chicory for 2 minutes each side.
- Lay each half of the butternut squash on a big dish. Divide the quinoa, salad/chicory and oranges around the squash and sprinkle with the lemon rind, the potato cubes, chives and pomegranate seeds.
- Serve with a crisp green salad.