Give this really versatile recipe a go, with options for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegan. This recipe is for 2 servings. It looks fancy but it’s relatively easy. Ideal if you are trying to impress with your cooking prowess. What could be better than food, stuffed with more food in it!

Ingredients

• Butternut squash, 1 large
• Onion, 1 red or white, diced
• Garlic, 1 clove, diced or crushed
• Rice or grains (such as quinoa, freekeh etc.), 80g
• Spinach, 2 big handfuls
• Boneless chicken thighs, 2, diced – optional
• Feta, 60g, crumbled – optional
• Stock cube, chicken or veg
• Sage, 2 teaspoons
• Salt and Pepper

Recipe

Heat the oven to 180’C. Carefully cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves on a baking tray, flesh-side up, and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Time to make the “stuffed”. Heat some oil in a large pan. Add the onions, garlic and chicken (if using) to the pan. Cook until the onions are softened and brown, and the chicken is no longer pink, stirring frequently so they don’t stick to the pan.

Stir the rice/grains into the pan, coating them in the juices. Add the sage and seasoning. Dissolve the stock cube in water and then pour in enough to cover the contents of the pan. Bring to a boil, before reducing the heat and covering. Simmer until your rice or grains have soaked up the liquid, and are cooked through. Add more water if needed.

Remove the squash halves from the oven and scoop out a little of the flesh to make more room for the filling. It should be easy to scoop out with a spoon. Bake for longer if the flesh is not yet soft. The scooped flesh can be added to the mixture in the pan to bind it together.

Taste the “stuffed” – you may want to add more seasoning to your taste. Load up your butternut squash halves as much as possible and then crumble feta on top (if using). Return the stuffed squash halves to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Goes well with a little side salad or just on its own.

Well done you, no sit down and enjoy! 🙂