Jewelled Butternut Squash Freekeh
Ingredients
2 butternut squash (approx. 1kg each), each cut into 8 wedges
2.5 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil, plus extra to drizzle and pour
4 tsp of ground cumin
4 tsp of paprika
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
2 onions, finely chopped
400 g of freekeh
4 tbsp of tomato purée
75 g of salted butter
150 g of dried apricots, thinly sliced
100 g of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
2 tsp of cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods, seeds extracted
60 g of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
60 g of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2 green chillies or 1 long red chilli
0.5 lemon, juiced
200 g of feta
100 g of pomegranate seeds
50 g of pine nuts
2 tbsp of cook with m&s crispy onions
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, plus 3 whole cloves
8 servings
Calories~681 kcal
Protein~18 g
Carbs~103 g
Fat~24 g
Fiber~16 g
Sugar~31 g
Total recipe
Calories~5,450 kcal
Protein~140 g
Carbs~825 g
Fat~190 g
Fiber~125 g
Sugar~245 g
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the squash on 1-2 lined baking trays. Drizzle with oil, rub in 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp paprika and 1 tsp cinnamon; season. Roast for 45 mins.
Step 2
For the freekeh, heat a lidded pan over a medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions; cook for 5 mins. Add the sliced garlic, cook for 1-2 mins, then stir in the freekeh; season. Add 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1tsp cinnamon and tomato purée; mix to coat the grains. Stir in the butter until melted. Add 800ml cold water, cover and simmer for 20 mins, or until the freekeh is cooked but has bite.
Step 3
Stir in the dried apricots and dried cranberries, cook for 10 mins more, then remove from the heat.
Step 4
For the zhoug, toast the cumin seeds and cardamom seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 1-2 mins. Whizz in a food processor with 3 whole garlic cloves, flat leaf parsley, coriander, chillies and lemon juice; season and pour in enough oil to give a loose consistency.
Step 5
Spread the freekeh on a platter; top with squash. Drizzle with zhoug; crumble over the feta. Scatter with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and crispy onions.
