Pumpkin recipes

SMASHING PUMPKINS

Enjoy the best of the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness with these delicious squash-inspired recipes from FRAN STEVENS, aka The Food Wife. BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BLACK BEAN, TOMATO & COCONUT CURRY Serves 6-8

Creamy and mild, this curry is great for all the family. It’s naturally vegan and gluten free too so caters for a range of dietary requirements. If you like some heat, add a chopped chilli or two during step two.

This is rather rich because of the coconut milk, and should serve 6-8, depending on appetite. It’s a perfect batch cook recipe so you can freeze portions for a quick and nutritious meal for another night.

Ingredients

Coconut oil 2 onions, small dice 2 inches of ginger, grated 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 cinnamon sticks 2 heaped tsp ground cumin 2 heaped tsp ground coriander 2 heaped tsp ground turmeric 2 heaped tsp ground paprika 1 tin coconut milk 500g passata ✃

2 tins black beans, drained 2 tomatoes, halved and cut into wedges ½ butternut squash, small dice Salt and pepper

Method Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large pan (it will need to have a lid). Add the diced onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a further five.

Add all the spices and stir to stop them from burning. After a minute or two add the coconut milk and passata, along with the squash, tomato and black beans. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat, until the squash is tender. Season to taste and serve with rice and/or flatbreads.

CURRIED SWEET POTATO & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP Serves 4 Every autumn I welcome soup back to the menu. This one is sweet from the veg and lightly spiced by curry powder. It’s low calorie (especially if you use a spray oil like I did for softening the onion) but is really delicious. You could always make it more substantial by serving it with some crusty bread. This is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan so covers a range of dietary requirements. It freezes well too. Winner!

Ingredients In a large saucepan heat a little oil (I used a spray oil) and add your onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until it has begun to soften and colour slightly.

Add the chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable stock and creamed coconut and bring to a gentle simmer. Put a lid on the pan and cook gently until the vegetables are soft and a sharp knife can easily pass through (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from the heat and carefully blend until smooth (I used a stick blender). Season to taste with salt and pepper. SPAGHETTI SQUASH Serves 2-4 Over the years I’ve seen so many Pinterest pins for spaghetti squash and have wanted to try it for so long. They are so called as their cooked flesh shreds into spaghetti-like strands and so are often used as an alternative to pasta. I’ve never seen one for sale in the UK so decided I would buy some seeds and grow my own (or in this case ask my mum to grow them at her allotment as I didn’t have enough garden space this year!). So, the day has come for me to finally cook and eat one! I decided to go for a low carb mac and cheese (where the squash would replace the macaroni). These instructions will tell you how to roast one to achieve perfect stands of spaghetti squash.

Ingredients 1 spaghetti squash Salt and pepper Cheese sauce / the accompaniment of your choice

Method Preheat your oven to 200°C and put a small amount of water (50ml or so) in

the base of a large lipped baking tray. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthways and use a spoon to scrape out the seedy middle until you have a clean hollow.

Place each half in the tray, flesh side up. Season with a little salt and pepper and then transfer to the oven.

Cook for 50 minutes and then remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before you use a spoon to shred the flesh from the skins.

Serve with the accompaniment of your choice, such as a cheese sauce. One spaghetti squash will serve 2-4

people.