Butternut Squash, Chickpea, Spinach and Feta Cream Bake

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and chopped in bite size chunks
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, cored and chopped
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock
  • 2-3 thyme sprigs
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • extra virgin olive oil, approx. 30ml
  • 1tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
  • ½ lemon, juice and zest
  • 2oz grated cheddar cheese
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • Spinach Mix
  • 1lb spinach leaves
  • a bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
  • 2 leeks, white parts only, cut in four lengthwise and then finely sliced
  • 1 large onion, grated on the thick side of a box grater
  • 1 bunch of dill, finely chopped
  • 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • a pinch of grated nutmeg
  • Creamed Feta
  • 3 1/2 Dodoni Feta
  • 3 1/2 cream cheese
  • small bunch of chives
  • 6tbsp milk

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 200
  2. Put the chopped butternut squash on a tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and garlic and massage well with hands
  3. Add the thyme and bake in the oven for 25-30min until soft
  4. Bring a saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add the ground coriander and chopped pepper and stir to coat. Reduce the heat, add the chickpeas and stock, cover and cook for 10min until the stock has been absorbed and the pepper is soft

For the Spinach Mix:

  1. Wash the spinach thoroughly in a large bowl full of water a couple of times. Drain and squeeze. Taking a handful of spinach at a time, chop roughly on a board
  2. Bring a large pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil, onion and leek
  3. Stir a couple of times, lower the heat, cover the saucepan and cook for a few minutes until the onion and leeks are translucent. Add the spinach, spring onions and dill giving everything a good stir and covering again with the lid to cook for a few more minutes till the spinach is fully wilted. Uncover, increase the heat and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with a little bit of salt, some freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
  4. Remove the spinach from the heat
  5. and leave to cool

For the Feta Cream:

  1. In a small blender, blitz the crumbled Feta and add the cream cheese and milk. Add the chives and season with a little ground black pepper
  2. In an oven proof dish, put the chickpeas, the baked butternut squash and spoon on 5-6 tablespoons of spinach mix and Feta cream
  3. Scatter the grated cheddar and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes
  4. Serve drizzled with the lemon juice, more olive oil and sprinkle with the lemon zest, chilli flakes and finely chopped coriander