Filled Butternut Squash Rings (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
1-2 mid-sized butternut squash
02 -
2 tablespoons olive oil, with extra for drizzling
03 -
1 yellow onion, diced small
04 -
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
05 -
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs, stripped and diced
06 -
80g ready-to-eat chestnuts, chopped roughly (around 1/2 cup)
07 -
120g prepared quinoa (roughly 1 cup)
08 -
400g pre-cooked brown lentils, washed and drained
09 -
20g dried cranberries or cherries, cut into chunks (about 2 tablespoons)
10 -
Small amount of ground nutmeg
11 -
30g plant-based butter (around 2 tablespoons)
12 -
50g fresh spinach leaves (2 handfuls)
13 -
Sea salt, as needed
14 -
Black pepper, freshly ground, as needed
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven on to 190°C. Put each squash flat on its side and slice it into 1½ inch rounds. Take a small cookie cutter and make a hole in the middle of each slice to form rings. Keep the middle bits you cut out and chop them up, but throw away the seeds.
02 -
Put your squash rings in a baking dish, pour some olive oil on top, and add sea salt. Stick them in the hot oven for 20 minutes.
03 -
While that's happening, warm olive oil in a big pan on medium heat. Toss in the chopped garlic, diced onion, and thyme. Let it all cook down for about 7 minutes until soft.
04 -
Now add your chopped chestnuts, cranberries or cherries, diced squash pieces, and plant butter to the pan. Let the butter melt completely, then sprinkle in some nutmeg and mix everything together.
05 -
Now dump in your cooked quinoa and lentils. Cook it all together for 5 more minutes, then throw in your spinach and stir until it wilts down. Add salt and pepper how you like it, then take it off the heat.
06 -
Take your partly baked squash rings out. Fill each ring with lots of your hot stuffing mixture. Add a tiny bit more olive oil on top, then put them back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes until the squash feels totally soft.
07 -
Take them out and eat them while they're hot with plant-based gravy and whatever sides you want.
# Notes:
01 -
You can swap in French shallots instead of yellow onion if you want.
02 -
Don't worry if you don't have a cookie cutter - just use a spoon to scoop out the middle of each squash slice.
03 -
The pre-packaged cooked chestnuts work great in this dish.