Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 40g walnuts, finely chopped
• 40g pecan nuts, finely chopped
• 80g cooked chestnuts
• 1 small leek, diced
• 1 small celery stick, diced
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½  Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• ½  Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 30g dried cranberries
• Mixed berry chia jam (or use cranberry or apple sauce)
• Large handful of Spinach leaves
• 8-10 sundried tomato halves

To Serve: Red Hot Firekraut, extra berry chia jam and roasted potatoes.

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Halve the butternut squash vertically and scoop out the seeds with a soup spoon. Line a roasting tin large enough to hold both squash halves with baking paper. Put both halves, cut sides down, in the roasting tin and roast for 50 mins, or until just tender.
2. Leave to cool for 15 mins, then carefully turn the halves over and scoop out the insides along the length of each squash half, leaving an even, 3cm border of squash all around the edge. Be careful not to pierce the skin. Reserve the scooped-out squash and season the hollowed-out halves with salt and pepper.
3. While the squash halves cook, prepare the filling. Place a large saucepan set over a medium heat and add a tsp of oil. Add the diced leek and cook gently for 5-8 mins or so, stirring often, until soft and just starting to colour. Now add the celery, carrots and a splash of water and cook for 5 mins until beginning to soften, stirring often.
4. Use a fork or food processor to break the chestnuts down a little. They should be lightly crushed rather than completely broken down. Add the crushed chestnuts, finely crushed nuts, minced garlic cloves and fresh herbs to the pan. Cook through for a minute. And take off the heat.
5. Stir in the scooped-out squash, stirring to mix and to break it down evenly. Add in the nutritional yeast, cinnamon, turmeric, lemon juice, dried cranberries and mix well.
6. Coat the squash halves with the mixed berry chia jam (or cranberry or apple sauce alternatively). Divide the nut stuffing mixture between the two halves pressing down evenly. Press the spinach leaves into the stuffing mix and top with the sun dried tomato halves.
7. Carefully put the two halves together to make a butternut squash shape and tie together a few times along the length of the squash with kitchen string. Return to the roasting tin.
8. Bake for 40-50 mins, until the squash is completely tender and piping hot.
9. Serve large slices of squash roast with a good helping of Red Hot Firekraut, extra berry chia jam and roasted potatoes.

Mixed berry chia jam recipe

• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds