SQUASH AND BEETROOT RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Toss the onion, beetroot, squash and garlic in a roasting tin with 2 tbsp olive oil, the thyme leaves, sumac and some seasoning. Roast for 45 mins until the vegetables are tender but still retain their shape, then stir in the lentils and half the chestnuts. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins, reserve half and squash the other two into the lentil mixture. Leave to cool completely.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, tip in the kale, cook for 1 min until wilted, then drain and run under cold water until cool. Squeeze all the water from the kale, then put it in the small bowl of a food processor along with the reserved garlic cloves, chestnuts, the lemon juice, olive oil and some seasoning. Blitz to a thick pesto, and season to taste.
• On a lightly floured surface, unravel the sheets of puff pastry. Cut each sheet into three widthways so that you have six strips in total then divide the kale pesto between these, followed by the roasted veg and lentils, heaping the mixture on top of the pesto and leaving one side free of filling so that it is easier to roll. Brush all the borders with half the milk, fold over the ends, then carefully roll the pastry lengthways to completely encase the filling into a roll. Place your six individual Wellingtons on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and chill for at least 1 hr, or cover with cling film and leave overnight. If freezing, cover and freeze on a lined baking tray for up to 3 months.
• To bake from chilled, heat oven to 190 C/170 C fan/gas 3 and line a baking tray with parchment.
• Brush the top of each Wellington with the remaining milk and sprinkle with a little sumac, then bake for 30 mins from chilled or 45 mins from frozen until crisp and golden. Scatter over extra thyme and some flaky sea salt and serve.

Steps:

• 1. Over the years I’ve seen roasted squash cooked in many ways and I’ve got to say this particular way is one of my favourites. Even though it’s very Tuscan in style, the flavours remind me of English chutney recipes that I’ve come across in old cookbooks. When roasted like this, the squash is wonderful eaten as part of an antipasti plate, or in soups, or tossed with pasta, or with meat. Other types of squash that are great for roasting are onion squash (which has a dense orange skin) and acorn squash (which has an orangey-grey skin and is a bit more squashed than round). Ask your local fruit and veg man for guidance if you’re not sure. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Halve the butternut squash, remove and reserve the seeds, then cut the squash into slices or chunks with the skin left on. Using a pestle and mortar, or a metal bowl with a rolling pin, bash up the dried red chilli with a good pinch of salt. Add the whole sage leaves, the pieces of cinnamon and enough olive oil to loosen the mixture, and rub the whole lot over all the squash pieces so they are well covered.
  2. Place the squash in one layer in a roasting tray and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the seeds, cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the skin of the squash is soft, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes until the squash is golden and crisp. Remove the cinnamon and tuck in!