If you’re not sure how to use that butternut squash in your EroeGo box, this recipe adapted from Diary of the Evans Crittens makes the perfect Sunday dinner.
It’s a super-tasty feast of butternut squash and leek nut roast, with roasted squash, and brussels sprouts with squash seeds.
Not only is it delicious, vegan and easy to make, but it’s a great food waste solution as it uses every part of the vegetable - not a single seed or a sliver of skin will go to waste here.
Prepare the squash
It’s important to prepare the vegetable first, so start by chopping the squash into manageable sections. Then cut the bits of squash with skin into wedge shapes, and cube the flesh that has no skin. Set aside each part for how it’ll be used:
Flesh with skin - butternut squash roasties
Flesh without skin - nut roast
Seeds - nut roast and brussels sprout side dish
Stalk - gravy
Squash and potato roasties
50ml olive oil
Butternut squash (skin-on), wedge-shaped
1kg potatoes
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 200°C (or 400°F).
Add the olive oil to a roasting dish and heat it in the oven.
Make sure your squash is ready, then prepare the potatoes - wash them, dry them and cut them into quarters, leaving the skin on.
Take out the tray, season the oil with salt and pepper and add rosemary, then mix it all together.
Add the squash and potatoes and combine everything so the veg is coated in oil and seasoning.
Put the tin in the oven and roast everything for around an hour, turning the veg fairly regularly until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Butternut squash and leek nut roast
Butternut squash seeds
Olive oil
Salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 small leek, chopped
Butternut squash (no skin), cubed
200ml water
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons yeast flakes
200g chopped nuts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Keep the oven at 200°C (or 400°F) and line a baking tray and roasting tin with foil.
To roast the seeds, rinse them first, then dry them off (we recommend using a towel to save waste from kitchen roll).
Put the seeds on the baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt. Stir so the seeds are evenly coated, then make sure they’re all lying flat on the tray.
Put it in the oven and stir the seeds every 5 minutes. They should be fully roasted after 20 minutes, or when they’re slightly golden.
Remove the tray and allow the seeds to cool. Turn the oven down to 180°C.
For the nut roast, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Sautée the onion, leek and squash.
Meanwhile, combine the water, chia seeds, flax seeds and yeast flakes in a jug.
Once your vegetables are tender, add the water-seed mix to the pan, along with the chopped nuts and soy sauce.
Combine all the ingredients and let them cook for a couple of minutes.
Transfer everything to the baking tin and sprinkle half of the roasted seeds on top.
Put the tin in the oven and let the nut roast cook for 30 minutes, or until it’s slightly browned on top.
Roasted brussels sprouts with squash seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
500g brussels sprouts
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Half the roasted squash seeds
Heat the oven to 200°C (or 400°F) and line a baking tray with foil.
Add the oil to the tray and warm it in the oven.
Lay the brussel sprouts on the tray and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything so the sprouts are well coated.
Put the tray in the oven and roast the sprouts for around 25 minutes, or until they’re soft.
Remove the tray and add the maple syrup and squash seeds.
Mix everything so the sprouts are well coated, and return it to the oven for another 5 or 10 minutes.
Gravy
Making stock from veggie scraps is a great way to cut down on food waste. When you’re cooking with your other EroeGo veg, add any leftover bits to a ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge, or freezer if it takes you a little longer to save up enough.
You’ll be ready to make stock when you have one bag filled with peel and scraps. When you’re making this feast, add the squash stalk then follow these steps:
Put all the veg scraps in a big pot.
Fill the pot full of water, or until the scraps just start to float.
Bring the water to the boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the vegetables and you’ll be left with the stock.
Then, just follow these steps to make a delicious gravy.
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
400ml vegetable stock
Salt
Pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions for about 10 minutes, or until they’re golden.
Sprinkle over the flour and constantly stir for 30 seconds.
Slowly pour in your homemade vegetable stock, stirring constantly.
Bring to a simmer and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve.