About the Recipe
Delicious warm and hearty autumnal squash and lentil stew.
Ingredients
1 cup lentils rinsed and drained
1 carnival squash - medium, halved, straighten the base to sit in tray easier (reserve any extras & throw into stew later)
1/2 can chickpeas rinsed
1 tomato, ripe, chopped
1 cup carrot slices
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp crushed garlic
Handful baby spinach
3 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
Cracked black pepper and more salt to taste
Preparation
To roast the squash & chickpeas:
Turn oven onto high (425F)
Lay squash halves onto baking tray facing up (after coring/removing seeds). Grease with olive oil and add a dash of sea salt.
Reserve the seeds and roast later
Using another tray, drizzle chickpeas with olive oil, dash of salt and tumeric and lay onto tray
Bake chickpeas for about 10-15 mins until slightly dry / brown
Bake squash for about 30 mins til soft inside (check softness with fork)
In the meantime prep lentil base:
Cook lentils accordingly to pack instructions
In a medium skillet, warm up some olive oil
Lower heat and add 1 cinnamon stick, cumin, tumeric and stir for a few seconds until fragrant
Throw in onion and garlic and ginger powder and cook for a few mins until onions softened
Add carrots & any squash reserve if using (or shredded/sliced potato)
Add 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock, cover skillet, and let cook for about 10 mins on low heat until carrots and other vegetables softened
Add tomato and cook for additional few mins
Add any remaining seasoning such as cinnamon powder, salt and black pepper (feel free to add more cumin if needed)
Finally add spinach and let wilt
Turn heat off
You can add lentils to stew or keep separate
Same with chickpeas, either add to stew directly or use as topping
Carve out some of the squash meat then top with lentils, stew and chickpeas
Top with roasted squash seeds
Alternatively scoop out squash meat and add to stew, serve with the lentil on the side and top with the chickpeas and seeds
Remember to remove the cinnamon stick before serving