Spicy Lamb And Herb-Stuffed Squash
Autumn brings with it an array of brightly coloured, sweetly flavoured squashes that cry out to be roasted. Small round varieties, such as acorn or onion, are perfect for stuffing. If all you can find is a couple of chunky butternut squashes, simply slice off their bulbous ends, just before they start to widen, then cut each in half around the middle to create two squash bowls. You can save the rest of the squash for other dishes.
Serves 4
2 small round squash, such as acorn or onion,
about 500g each
1–2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
500g lamb mince
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
250ml hot chicken stock
1 tablespoon runny honey
50g pine nuts, toasted
a large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped,
plus extra to garnish
a large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
salt and black pepper
Step 1
Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Cut each squash width ways in half and scoop out the seeds and fibres. Place the 4 halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle over some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the heated oven and roast for 25–30 minutes until tender.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat 1–2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5–10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chillies and fry for a further minute. Add the lamb mince to the pan; increase the heat and fry, breaking the mince up with a wooden spoon, until it is crumbly and browned.
Step 3
Add the spices and fry for a couple of minutes, and then pour in the stock. Add the honey and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the stock has evaporated and the lamb mixture is sticky.
Step 4
Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the pine nuts and chopped herbs. Spoon the lamb mixture into the cooked squash halves and serve.
Spanish Cod Stew With Chickpeas
A classic combination of rich spicy chorizo with tender chickpeas and flaky cod. For something a bit more special to serve to friends, you could use salt cod or baccalau, which has a firm, silky texture. Soak it overnight before cooking.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
120g sliced cooking chorizo
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
a good pinch of crushed dried chillies
100ml red wine
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
300ml water
a good pinch of caster sugar
200g tinned chickpeas (drained weight), rinsed
500g skinless sustainable cod fillet, cut into large pieces
a handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and black pepper
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chorizo over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until just starting to become crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.
Step 2
Add the onion to the pan along with the hot and sweet paprikas and the chilli flakes. Cook for 8–10 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the red wine, tomatoes, oregano, water and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Step 3
Return the chorizo to the pan and add the chickpeas and the pieces of cod. Bubble gently for 3–4 minutes until the cod is just cooked. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Beetroot Risotto With Thyme And Pecorino
Beetroot transforms this dish from a humble risotto into a work of art, colouring the rice a deep, vivid pink and giving it a nutty, earthy flavour. Pecorino has a lovely tang that offsets the sweetness of the beetroot, although if Parmesan is what you have in your fridge this would also do nicely. Risotto may seem like a labour of love, with all that stirring, but you need to do this in order to release the starch from the rice. That’s what gives the risotto its silky texture.
Serves 4
2 medium beetroots (unpeeled)
2 knobs of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large shallots, finely sliced
4–5 sprigs of fresh thyme
350g Carnaroli risotto rice
250ml white wine
750ml–1 litre hot vegetable stock
100g baby spinach
a small squeeze of lemon juice
35g pecorino cheese, freshly grated
salt and black pepper
Step 1
Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Wrap the beetroots in foil and place in the heated oven to roast for 20–25 minutes until tender to the point of a knife. Remove and leave to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut into bite-sized cubes.
Step 2
While the beetroots are cooling, heat a knob of butter with the olive oil in a deep frying pan and gently fry the shallots with the thyme for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir for a few minutes until the grains are translucent.
Step 3
Add the white wine and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Season the rice with a good amount of salt. Gradually add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, cooking and stirring until each addition of stock has been absorbed before adding another ladleful (you may not need all the stock).
Step 4
When the rice is al dente and almost cooked, gently stir in the baby spinach and beetroot cubes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, pecorino, a knob of butter and plenty of black pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.