Recipe Inspiration

Ingredients...

2 butternut squash – around 1.2kg each

50ml olive oil

2 or 200g red onion

2 or 14g cloves garlic

2 bunches of fresh sage – leaves only, chopped

20 sun-dried tomatoes

150 g vac-packed chestnuts

150 g basmati rice

300ml water

5g Essential Cuisine Vegetable Stock Mix

150 g dried cranberries

18g Essential Cuisine Spicy Persian Seasoning

50ml red wine

Method...

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
   
   
2. Wash the squash, carefully cut it in half lengthways, then remove and reserve the seeds. Use a spoon to score and scoop some flesh out, making a gully for the stuffing all along the length of the squash.
   
   
3. Finely chop the scooped-out flesh with the seeds and put into a frying pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
   
   
4. Peel, finely chop and add the onion and garlic, stirring regularly while you pick the sage leaves and finely chop them with the sun-dried tomatoes and chestnuts.
   
   
5. Stir into the pan with the rice, cranberries and Essential Cuisine Spicy Persian Seasoning, add a good pinch of sea salt and black peppered, the water, Essential Cuisine Vegetable Stock Mix and red wine, and mix well. Fry for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
   
   
6. Pack the mixture tightly into the gully in the two squash halves, then press the halves firmly back together. Rub the skin of the squash with a little oil, salt and pepper, and if you’ve got them, pat on any extra herb leaves you must hand.
   
   
7. Place the squash in the centre of a double layer of tin foil, then tightly wrap it up. Bake for around 2 hours, or until soft and cooked through.
   
   
8. Once ready, take the squash to the table and open the foil in front of everyone, then carve into nice thick slices and serve with all the usual trimmings.