Autumn is now well and truly here, and we find ourselves surrounded by squashes, root vegetables and dark-leaved greens. And, as the evenings draw in, what’s not to love about such warming, comforting ingredients? Pulses are a particularly good-value way to make any main meal go a long way. Earthy brown lentils are a great favourite tinned or dried, and even the dried ones don’t take that long to cook, especially if you soak them first. Butter beans, meanwhile, have so much texture and body that they are, to me, the king of the beans.
Squash stuffed with lentils (pictured top)
Tinned lentils are such a brilliant, quick cupboard staple, though dried ones would work here, too: replace the tin with 200g washed dried lentils soaked in 600ml water or vegetable stock, and extend the cooking time to ensure they are tender. You can, of course, leave out the lardons if you want to make the dish vegetarian. As for the squash, that’s more or less up to you – there are many varieties to choose from: I like acorn, kabocha, harlequin or red kuri. Here, I’ve cut the squash into rounds and removed the seeds, but you could also cut it in half and deseed to make a neat cavity for the lentil stuffing; shave a bit off the base, too, so the squash halves sit nicely on the tray. If you cook it this way, the squash will take longer to roast but, presentation-wise, it looks fantastic.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4
5 tbsp light olive oil
100g lardons, free-range for preference (optional)
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
1 leek, trimmed, cut in half lengthways, then finely sliced (use as much as green as possible) and washed
3 sticks celery, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthways, then cut into fine half-moons
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 heaped tbsp tomato paste, or 200ml passata
410g tin green lentils, undrained
1 sprig each thyme and rosemary, and 1 bay leaf (or whatever you have to hand)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
200ml vegetable stock
1 small-medium squash (about 800g), unpeeled, cut into 2cm-thick rounds and deseeded
To finish
350g creme fraiche, or greek yoghurt or fromage frais
1 egg
200g grated cheese – this is a good place to use up any bits and bobs
50g breadcrumbs
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put a tablespoon of the oil in a small casserole for which you have a lid, and put it in the oven to heat up. Once the oil is hot, add the lardons, if using, return the casserole to the oven uncovered and cook for five or so minutes, until the bacon is crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lardons to a plate, leaving all the fat behind in the casserole, then add the onions, a splash more oil and a good pinch of salt to the pot. Cover and return to the oven for 10 minutes, until the onions soften and take on a bit of colour.
Add another tablespoon of the oil to the pot, then stir in the sliced leek, celery and carrot, cover again and return to the oven for 15 minutes, until the vegetables have started to soften and get some golden-brown edges.
Once the vegetables have softened, stir in the garlic and tomato paste, and return to the oven, this time uncovered, for five minutes. Stir in the lentils, crisp lardons (if using), herbs, sherry vinegar and stock, and return to the oven, still uncovered, for another 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange the squash rings in a single layer on an oven tray into which they’ll fit snugly, then season and douse with oil. Roast alongside the lentils for 20 minutes, until tender to the tip of a sharp knife, then take out of the oven to await the stuffing.
Now make the topping: mix the creme fraiche, egg and all but a heaped tablespoon of the cheese in a bowl. Mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and parsley in a small bowl.
Once the lentils have had a good time in the oven and have a nice, spoonable consistency – they need some liquid around them – season to taste, then spoon into the roast squash rings. Pour over the creme fraiche topping, scatter on the cheesy, herby crumbs and bake again for 20 minutes, until the top is bubbling and golden. Serve with some greens on the side, if you fancy.
Chermoula baked butter beans
Chermoula is a fragrant north African herb sauce that’s often paired with grilled fish; it also makes a great marinade for just about anything and everything. This super-simple, all-in-one dish is a great vegetarian or vegan main, but it also works as a side for grilled or baked chicken or fish; any leftovers would make a great packed lunch, too, perhaps with some crumbled feta and salad. I love the butter beans you get in jars these days – they have such a good, rich flavour and their thick, gelatinous juice really adds to a dish. I usually warm them in the oven until that delicious liquor melts and then pour it off to use later in the dish. Serve these with grilled flatbreads and maybe some halloumi baked while the beans are doing their thing.
Prep 20 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4
For the chermoula
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
1 generous handful flat-leaf parsley, thicker stalks removed and discarded, leaves and tender stalks roughly chopped
1 generous handful coriander, roughly chopped, stalks and all
5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red chilli, pith and seeds removed and discarded, flesh roughly chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ lemon, juiced, then peeled and zest finely chopped
Salt
90ml light olive oil
For the beans
600g tinned or jarred butter beans, warmed up in their juices, then strained to reserve the liquid
12 small new potatoes, washed and halved
2 red onions, peeled, halved and each half cut into 4
400g tinned cherry tomatoes, juice strained off and reserved
225g jarred roast red peppers (ie half a standard jar), drained and cut into bite-sized pieces
Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Put the cumin in a small dish and toast in the warming oven for a minute or two, until they smell fragrant, then remove and leave to cool. Chop the cumin seeds a bit (or break them down in a mortar), then tip them into a food processor and add the herbs, garlic, chilli, paprika, lemon juice, a teaspoon of the chopped lemon zest and half a teaspoon of salt. Blitz smooth, then slowly add the olive oil to help things along, to make a loose paste.
Put the butter beans, potatoes and onion wedges in an oven tray in which they fit in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and scatter over the remaining lemon zest. Splash the chermoula all over the vegetables, then toss with your hands so everything gets well coated.
Mix the reserved bean liquor and the tinned tomato juice in a measuring jug, then add warm water to make it up to 250ml. Pour this carefully into the bean dish, so as not to wash off the marinade, then roast for 20 minutes, until the vegetables have some nice, crisp edges and the potatoes and onions are starting to soften.
Add the tomatoes and peppers, give everything a good stir – if the mix seems dry, add a little water – then return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
By now, everything should be lightly browned on the surface, the onions and potatoes should be cooked through and the juices should have reduced into a thick sauce; if there doesn’t seem to be enough, simply pour in some boiling water and stir to make a bit more juice. Check for seasoning, then serve with bread for mopping up and some greens, if you like.
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Rosie Sykes is a cook and food writer. Her latest book, Every Last Bite: Save Money, Time and Waste with 70 Recipes that Make the Most of Mealtimes, is published by Quadrille at £18.99. To order a copy for £17.09, go to guardianbookshop.com