Stuffed Butternut Squash with Wild Rice & Feta

• 150 gfeta cheese, crumbled
• 200 gdried wild rice blend
• 2medium butternut squashes, halved lengthways, seeds scooped
• 1red onion, finely diced
• 2cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 2 tspground cumin
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1handful dried cranberries
• 50 gpine nuts, toasted
• 1lemon, zested and juiced
• 15 gflat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsptahini
• 15 gmint leaves, chopped
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 200 gchopped tomato, cucumber and lettuce salad, dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Method

1. 1Preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C. Brush the squash halves all over with 2 tbsp olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a large roasting tray.
2. 2Roast for 40 minutes, until the flesh gives easily when pierced with a knife and the skin has started to wrinkle.
3. 3Meanwhile, cook the wild rice blend per packet instructions and drain. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and soften the red onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
4. 4Add the cinnamon and cumin and cook for 1 minute, until the spices smell warm and toasted. Stir in the cooked rice, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice and half the parsley. Season well and taste.
5. 5Flip the squash halves cut-side up. Press the flesh down gently with the back of a spoon to make a deeper cavity, then fill each half generously with the rice stuffing, mounding it up.
6. 6Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until everything is piping hot and the edges of the rice are crisping.
7. 7Scatter over the crumbled feta and the remaining parsley. Loosen the tahini with a little water and drizzle it over, finish with torn mint. The lemon zest and juice are already in the filling. Serve the optional salad if using.

Per serving

kcal

766

protein

22.2g

fibre

16.7g

carbs

109.7g

fat

32.6g