Roast squash, romanesco & lentils
On a bed of yogurt and goat’s cheese. Finish with pickled red onions for a really tasty, vibrant, wholesome meal.
I didn’t really know what to name this dish, but I do know that it’s a gorgeous combination of colours, flavours and textures.
It’s wholesome, full of plants and goodness, and the kind of recipe I don’t really plan. Instead, it’s a concoction of ingredients I cobbled together from the fridge and cupboards when I didn’t know what to cook. This is my typical cooking style, I’m not great at meal planning, I prefer to go with the flow. I know not everyone finds this approach easy, so hopefully you enjoy recreating my creations.
In this one it’s of a base of a yogurt and goat’s cheese sauce, with buttery lentils, roasted squash and romanesco cauliflower and sweet punchy pickled red onions. It’s vibrant, tasty and simple. Hope you enjoy it.
You’ll need (serves 2):
400g butternut squash, or squash of choice
100g dried black lentils, or lentils of choice
250g romanesco cauliflower, or standard cauliflower/broccoli
200g Greek or natural yogurt
60g soft goat’s cheese
Knob of butter
Pickled red onions
If using an oven to cook the veg, preheat to 190C. If using an air fryer, no need to preheat.
Cut the squash into bite sized chunks. No need to peel, I don’t!
Roast the squash in a little olive oil in the oven or air fryer (also set to 190C) for 15 minutes.
Rinse the lentils well and add them to a saucepan with hot water. Cook for 15 minutes or so until tender.
While they cook, cut the romanesco into florets. If it has leaves, keep these, cut away and discard the tough stalks, and put them aside to add to the lentils later.
Make the sauce by blitzing the yogurt with the goat’s cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
After the squash has been in for 15 minutes, add the romanesco along with salt and pepper and return to cook for a further 10 minutes or so, until everything is cooked and tender.
When the lentils are done, add the romanesco leaves and allow them to wilt. Then drain any remaining liquid and add a knob of butter and salt and pepper.
Spread a layer or the sauce on each plate. Top with the lentils, then the squash and romanesco. Finish with pickled red onions and dig in.
