Butternut squash with walnut, apricots and cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
- 20 g dried cranberries
- 20 g dried apricots chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts broken into small chunks
- 1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- A generous pinch sea salt
- A generous crack black pepper
- For the walnut crumb topping optional
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup gluten free oats
- 2 tsps coconut oil
- 1 heaped tsp dried sage
- A generous pinch sea salt
- A generous crack black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees conventional or 180 degrees for fan assisted
- Cut the squash lengthwise and place face down on a shallow roasting tray. Roast for 35 minutes or until tender.
- While the squash is cooking you can make the walnut crumb. Add the walnuts and oats to a food processor and pulse until broken down to a large crumb consistency.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the dried sage and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the coconut oil and rub the oats and walnuts into the oil with your fingertips to form a crumble consistency. Reserve to one side.
- When the squash is tender, remove from the oven and turn over, allow to cool slightly. Leave the oven on.
- While the squash cools, you can start to prepare the stuffing. Add the onion to a large frying pan with the coconut oil over a medium heat and cook until soft – around 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sage and rosemary to the pan and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes to soften the garlic.
- While the garlic cooks, scoop out some of the flesh from the ‘neck’ of the squash halves. You want a generous cupful in total.
- Add the squash flesh to the pan with the onion, garlic and herbs and break down with a spoon.
- Add the broth/water to the pan along with the cranberries and apricots.
- Season generously with salt and pepper and stir well to combine.
- Allow the mixture to continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the walnut chunks.
- Dividing the mixture equally, spoon the stuffing back into the squash halves.
- Sprinkle the walnut crumb topping over the stuffed squash and return to the oven to bake for a further 10-12 minutes until the squash is soft through and piping hot, and the crumble is turning golden brown.
Notes
This delicious recipe is not only vegan but nutritious, anti-inflammatory and gluten free. It goes perfectly served with braised red cabbage or a simple green salad.
