boats of butternut squash

About a year ago, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall published an excellent set of recipes in which the butternut squash, cut in half, acted as a ‘boat’ to hold additional tasty passengers.

Lentils and blue cheese (preferably in my mind, blue vinney) were the best two ingredients he recommended. So last night, I used a combination of lentils, blue vinney, red onion, and rosemary in my mixture.

It takes time, but the preparation of the recipe is extremely simple. Simply cut the squash in half, prick with a fork, and roast for about 45 minutes. Remove most of the squash, leaving about a 1cm rim around the whole of the squash, and mix with the cooked lentils, onion and rosemary. Add the mixture back into the squash, top with blue vinney, and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Absolutely delightful.

But don’t stop with squash – aubergine works a treat too. I remember a Rosemary Conley recipe (a bit naff but nonetheless commendable for her low-fat tricks) from years ago recommending stuffed aubergine with lentils and tomatoes. Topped with Swiss or Parmesan, it makes a fabulously simple meal.