Harissa Squash with Romesco Sauce.
This is an ideal mid-week dinner as it’s delicious and filling, but can also be whipped up in about 40mins and is packed full of fibre and plant protein. Using a sachet of pre-cooked grains helps to keep prep time down, however you can of course cook these yourself if you prefer. Just be sure to let the grains rest & cool slightly before mixing the other ingredients in, otherwise it can go a little mushy.
Serves 2
Ingredients.
1x 200g sachet of pre-cooked quinoa, or mixed grains, e.g. Merchant Gourmet ‘Glorious Grains’
Handful of fresh basil, approx. 20g
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tin of chickpeas, drained
Half a butternut squash
1 heaped tbsp of harissa paste, I like this Belazu Rose Harissa
A few tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Romesco Sauce:
2-4 roasted red peppers from a jar, e.g. these Karyatis ones
1-2 garlic cloves
40g whole almonds
Squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
Pinch of salt
Splash of water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
blender/food processor
oven dish/baking tray
microwave (for grains)
mixing bowl
Method.
Preheat oven to 230c
Cut the squash into 6 wedges, scraping out any seeds
Mix the squash with harissa paste, salt & oil and roast in the oven for 30mins
3. After 15mins, add the drained chickpeas and mix thoroughly to coat in the harissa paste. Return to the oven for the remaining 15mins
4. Blend all the ingredients for the romesco sauce until smooth. You may need to rinse the peppers first as many are preserved in vinegar and can make the sauce quite sharp otherwise
5. Microwave the grains and transfer to a mixing bowl
6. Add the chopped basil, lemon juice, salt & oil to the grains and mix thoroughly
7. When the squash is cooked through and soft, remove from the oven and add the chickpeas (only) into the grains mixture, mixing to combine everything
8. Serve the squash on the grains with the sauce spooned over, and enjoy!
