Butternut Squash and Chickpea stew

I haven't shared a recipe on the blog in a very long time. A few people asked me for this one, after I posted a picture on social media, and it seemed the easiest way.

one onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
one butternut squash, peeled and chopped
one red pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
one carton of passata
750ml vegetable stock
one tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150g of lentils

Fry the onion in oil of your choice until softened.
Add garlic, ginger, pepper and squash and fry for a few more minutes.
Stir in the spices.
Add the passata and stock followed by the chickpeas and lentils.
Give it a good stir, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on low until the squash is tender and the lentils have absorbed the liquid. Season to taste.

This makes 6 good portions to serve with couscous or 4 if you're laying off the carbs. Excluding the spices, which I already had, it cost just under £2 for the ingredients.

Vegetable frittatas

I'm not a great lover of sandwiches. I prefer soup or falafels for my lunches during the week. Another favourite is these mini frittatas. They are super simple to make, quick to cook and will keep for several days in the fridge, if they last that long. Other members of the family have been known to pilfer them for a late night snack.

Firstly chop a selection of veggies. Here I've used a red pepper, half a dozen spring onions and a handful of chestnut mushrooms.

Divide them into a greased 12 cup muffin tray and crumble a cube of feta on top.

Beat 8 large free range eggs in a jug, season and pour over the vegetables.

Bake in the oven at 180 for about 25 minutes, until puffed up and golden on top.

Leave to cool for a few minutes and firm up a bit, before removing from the tin.

Enjoy!

Memorandum Monday ~ Avocado

I talked Avocados in my SIPIDI! round up last month. From that post you'll know that having them on toast is nothing new around here, so what is?

Some of the variations I've seen online have you making your own fresh pesto which, I'll be honest, is not something I want to do for a simple lunch. Others include slow roasted tomatoes, with a cooking time of over an hour, which would involve being super organised. I want quick, easy and tasty. I think this fits the bill.

Take a handful of cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil (I've got a spray), season and pop under the grill to soften. Meanwhile, toast some good wholemeal bread, mash an avocado with a little lemon or lime juice and black pepper.

Once the bread is toasted, spread with some tomato pesto, add thinly sliced red onion rings, mashed avocado and top with the grilled tomatoes. Enjoy.

It seems I cannot stay away from foodie posts, on Memorandum Monday, for long! Waving to Sian on this blustery morning, courtesy of Storm Imogen, and wondering why we've started naming our wet and windy Winter weather. Have a great week.

SIPIDI! ~ January Round Up

I've tried lots of new recipes this month. A few of them have included one of my favourite things. Chickpeas.

These are the ingredients for Spanish Chickpea and Potato Bake.

It looked so good when it came out of the oven that we dived right in and I forgot to take a photo. The filling smells wonderful as it cooks. The Mechanic actually commented on it when he walked in the door that evening. This almost never happens. It's topped with sliced potatoes, which crisp up in the oven and spread with sun dried tomato pesto. Delicious.

Hummus is regular fare around here and often on the lunch menu. There are some unusual variations in Anna Jones' book, A Modern Way to Eat, using different pulses. The Happy Pear has a trio of hummus recipes too. The beetroot variety is a fantastic colour. I've not tried that one yet, but the roasted carrot version is lovely.

A quick mention for avocados,  which Deb talked about earlier in the week. Another favourite lunch staple of mine and something I've been having on toast for the last twenty years. Lots of great variations on the theme, if you're stuck for inspiration.

Links to everything on my Meat Free Pinterest board. If you've joined in with SIPIDI! this month leave a comment so that I can find your post and I'll pin you to the board. Have a great weekend.

Memorandum Monday ~ Nuts!

The first Monday of the year and Sian has come up with a revamp of Me on Monday. Ideal for a quick and simple post, to kickstart a fresh new year of blogging.

You might know this already, but it was news to me. Soaking nuts in water for a few hours before eating them increases their nutritional value. It makes total sense, when you think about it. The nut wants to hang onto all its goodness, while waiting for ideal growing conditions. That's not in a bag in your cupboard. Who knew?