Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash

How have I only just discovered the deliciousness of butternut squash? It's not something that my family used to eat a lot of, and although I've looked at them in the supermarket, thought how weirdly shaped they are, and wondered what to do with them, I've never actually bought one before now. But I'm so glad I did. All I did was roast it for an hour and stuff it with some quinoa and veggies - so easy, and so pretty too!

Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash

Makes two halves.

Ingredients

One small/medium butternut squash

30g dry quinoa, rinsed

1/2 small courgette, chopped

1/2 small red pepper, chopped

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup vegetable stock

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp fresh basil or parsley (or use 1 tsp dried mixed herbs)

A pinch of chili powder (optional)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/392ºF/Gas Mark 6. Prepare the butternut squash by carefully cutting it into two halves and scooping out the seeds and the fleshy centre. Place the two halves on a baking tray and score the flesh with a sharp knife. Drizzle with olive oil or oil spray, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the flesh is tender.

In the meantime, place the stock in a pan and add the quinoa and cover the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, covered. In a non-stick pan, gently fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until translucent, then add the courgette, red pepper, tomato puree, chili powder and herbs and cook on a low heat until everything is softened. By this time, the quinoa should have absorbed almost all the liquid; remove it from the heat but keep the pan covered for 5 minutes to allow it to absorb all the stock. Stir the veggies into the quinoa and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stuff the butternut squash with the quinoa filling and roast for a final 5-10 minutes, ensuring everything is piping hot before serving. Enjoy!

What's your favourite way to eat squash?

Restaurant Review: LoveFit Cafe, Brighton

Update on the wisdom teeth: my mouth is actually healing up nicely, so I'm able to chew a lot more. The remaining problem is that the half of my tongue that was numb straight away afterwards started burning painfully about three days after the surgery, and hasn't stopped since. I can't taste anything on that side at all, and its numb to the touch but burns continuously throughout the day. The surgeon says its lingual nerve damage and just to wait for it to heal itself - 85% of cases aren't permanent, so I'm just trying not to think about it and get on with my end of year exams.

A week before I had my wisdom teeth out (when I could eat like a normal person!) me and my boyfriend went to Brighton for the weekend, and stumbled across the LoveFit Cafe one morning looking for somewhere to grab breakfast. Tucked away in The Lanes, this cosy little cafe has a huge menu of good, real food but without the unnecessary excess saturated fat, sugar and salt that you get in so many other places. The interior is small but very modern, and there's an outdoor seating area which we would have tried if the weather wasn't being spectacularly British.

The BIG Breakfast: rindless smoky bacon, reduced fat Cumberland sausages, baked beans, a large flat mushroom, grilled tomato, hash brown & scrambled egg served with wholemeal toast and a pot of tea or Americano coffee.

The staff were really friendly and quite obviously fitness fanatics; it was like being served breakfast by your personal trainer (ladies, I'm definitely not complaining). The cafe is eco-friendly and has Fairtrade coffee, organic tea and milk, and a huge range of fresh smoothies.

Charlie ordered 'The BIG Breakfast', which he said was one of the best he's had. It was massive but not greasy at all, and for only £6.99 included tea or coffee, so great value for money too. I opted for the slightly smaller but still delicious 'Lo-Carb Breakfast', which at £5.49 was slightly more expensive for its size. But I couldn't have eaten a whole one, and it was delicious!

The 'Lo-Carb': two reduced fat Cumberland sausages, three rashers of rindless smoky bacon, scrambled egg, tomato and grilled mushrooms.

The whole menu lists the nutritional breakdown for the food, including the cakes and desserts, which is impressive for an individual cafe. My only comment would be that its not included on the smoothie menu, which I imagine most of LoveFit's clientele would be interested in. The cafe does offer gluten free bread, however.

Where's your favourite healthy place to eat out? I'd love to hear in the comments!

'And Now You're Stupid!'

For a food blogger I have very little actual consumption of food to write about at the moment. On Thursday I got two wisdom teeth removed under general anaesthetic, which was an experience I would rather have avoided. Afterwards the nurse said, 'Ta da! And now you're stupid!' I didn't really get it at the time, still being loopy from the anaesthetic - apparently I just kept babbling at the surgeon about Finding Nemo.

It was a tricky operation because of the angle of the teeth, and I have stitches all over the inside of my mouth, half a numb tongue and limited jaw movement, which is making eating pretty difficult. Other than cold soup and cold oatmeal I've been trying to think of more interesting things to eat, so earlier I made a banana, tofu, greek yogurt and honey concoction. Its so simple I can't really call it a recipe, but here's the basic idea: a few spoonfuls of silken, firm tofu mashed together with one ripe banana, topped with greek yogurt and lashings of honey. It doesn't sound (or look) that great but tastes amazing, and contains some much needed protein to heal.

I also had cold homemade applesauce with greek yogurt and cinnamon which was - with only the tiniest exaggeration - heaven in a bowl. One Bramley apple, cooked with a couple of tablespoons of water until softened, mixed with honey (or a little sugar) and cinnamon, and topped with greek yogurt and more cinnamon.

So those are my best 'soft food' ideas at the moment, other than soup, soup and more soup. I really hope I can chew again soon, I'm massively craving all the foods I can't eat at the moment!

Have you had your wisdom teeth out? What did you eat?

Cheap, Filling and Super Healthy: Chicken, Sweet Potato and White Bean Hot Pot

I think I need to go into sweet potato rehab. I use them in any recipe that calls for regular potatoes. Using them as the topping for this chicken hot pot worked even better than I thought it would, and being lazy, I didn't even bother to peel the skin.

Of course, if you prefer to peel them, that's fine too - the beauty of this recipe is it's versatility, so feel free to use whatever vegetables you've got in the cupboard. If you're vegetarian or vegan, just omit the chicken, add a handful more beans, and use vegetable stock instead. The measurements given are the perfect amount to serve two, but if you're feeding more, it easily doubles up.

Chicken, Sweet Potato and White Bean Hot Pot

Serves two.

Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato

1 chicken breast, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

70g leeks, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large stalk celery, finely chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

5-6 button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pint chicken stock

salt and pepper

1 tsp mixed italian herbs

1/2 tsp mustard

2 tsp tomato purée

1 level tbsp flour

100g cannelini beans, cooked and drained

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5. In a pan of water, boil the sweet potato for 10 minutes, or until just soft, then remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool. Slice into circles about 1/4 inch in diameter.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a pan, then add the chicken, onion, garlic and leeks and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the celery, pepper and mushrooms and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Once the vegetables have softened, add the chicken stock, salt and pepper, mixed herbs, mustard and tomato purée. Place the flour in a mixing jug and add enough water to make a liquid consistency, then add this gradually to the pan, being sure to stir well, so the sauce thickens up without any lumps. Cook for a further 10 minutes or so. Finally, stir in the beans and check the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper to taste.

Place the mixture in a casserole dish and layer the slices of sweet potato on top, dusting with more herbs if wanted. Pop in the oven for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the sweet potato is soft on top. Serve with green beans and crusty bread - enjoy!

What's your favourite sweet potato recipe?

Not Quite Your Average Pizza: The Pizza Omelette

You've heard of using tortilla wraps and pita pockets as pizza bases... eggs are basically the same, right?

This recipe is really quick and easy, and the perfect pizza substitute if you're on a low-carb or high-protein diet. The best thing is that you can add whatever toppings you usually love on a pizza: pepperoni, ham, olives, or my favourite, peppers, mushrooms and cheese.

Pizza Omelette

Ingredients:

2-4 eggs, depending on the size of your pan and how thick you want the ‘pizza base’ to be

½ red pepper, chopped fairly small

About 80g mushrooms, sliced

A handful of the cheese of your choice, shredded or grated (I used Jarlsberg)

2 tbsp tomato sauce, either from a jar or made previously

Mixed Italian dried herbs

Salt and pepper

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, spray with oil, and add the chopped peppers and mushrooms, cooking until soft. Tip them into a bowl and set aside.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and beat well. Heat the frying pan over a medium-low heat, and pour in the eggs, cooking until the top is just set, then take the pan off the heat. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the omelette, then layer on the vegetables and cheese, finishing with a dusting of mixed Italian herbs and some freshly ground black pepper.

Pop your ‘pizza’ under the grill for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden, and serve straight away. Enjoy!

What would you use as a 'pizza base' that's not a pizza base?

Healthier, Lighter, Cuter: Mini Apple Crumble Cups

When the weather outside is frightful... bake! Forget snow men, snow fights or sledging, or at least pop these cute little crumbles in the oven so you have something to warm you up when you're done.

The best thing about crumble is that everyone adds their own twist; I love adding a pinch of ginger in with the apples to make it even more warming. I don't like mine too sweet, either, but if you do, just add a little more sugar or honey to taste.

Everyone knows that the topping is the best bit, and even though this recipe is healthier than your average crumble topping, it's every bit as good. I've used 100% whole grains: oats and spelt flour, although any flour will work fine. The usual butter is replaced by olive oil, which blends in brilliantly; you won't taste it at all, and the topping comes out crunchy, sweet and delicious. I could eat a whole bowl of it on its own (but I think that's called granola).

Mini Apple Crumbles

For the apple filling:

280g bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces

150ml water

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of ground ginger

½ tsp honey (add 1tsp brown sugar or more honey if you like it sweeter)

For the topping:

60g oats

2 heaped tsp/10g flour (I used spelt)

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp cinnamon

15g brown sugar (again, use 25g if you like it sweeter)

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5. Combine the ingredients for the apple filling in a small non-stick pan and cook over a low heat until the apple has softened into an apple-sauce consistency, leaving some chunks of apple if desired. Leave to cool.

Combine oats, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl and stir well to combine. Drizzle in the oil, and mix it into the dry ingredients until well combined.

Divide filling mixture between ramekins or small cups, then add the oat mixture on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is crunchy and golden and the filling is bubbling and piping hot. Serve immediately with custard, whipped cream or ice cream and a steaming cup of hot chocolate or tea!

How do you like your apple crumble, and what are your favourite winter desserts? Leave a comment and let me know!

Hearty Winter Salad Recipe: Roasted Balsamic Mushroom and Spelt Salad

It's set to get bitterly cold at the end of this week, but before the icy weather properly begins I've been craving a hearty bowl of salad. If that sounds like an oxymoron, try this recipe - its the opposite of the flimsy, frivolous salads of summer. This salad means business in both taste and texture; roasting the vegetables gives them a rich balsamic glaze, while the spelt adds stodginess, in the best possible way.

Roasted Balsamic Mushroom and Spelt Salad

Serves two.

Ingredients:

200g mushrooms, sliced

200g green beans, chopped

20g spring onion, chopped

100g pearled spelt

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/8 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp honey

4g garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7. Combine the balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Scatter the chopped mushrooms, green beans and spring onion in a roasting dish and pour the marinade over them, stirring to ensure the vegetables are coated evenly. Pop into the oven for 20-30 minutes, taking it out half-way to give the pan a shake, so that everything gets an even roasting.

Meanwhile, rinse the pearled spelt under cold water, then bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the spelt and cook for 20 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, rinse the spelt again under cold water to cool it down immediately to make sure it retains a slightly chewy texture.

Once the vegetables have softened, take the tray out of the oven and leave it to cool. Add the cooked spelt, stirring well to combine the juices, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

This salad is delicious served straight away, either on its own as a light meal, or as an accompaniment to meat or fish. It also keeps well for a few days in the fridge, and would be perfect to take as a packed lunch.

Do you prefer salads in the summer or winter? Any great salad recipes to share? Let me know in the comments.