Butternut Squash & Camargue Rice

This is incredibly wholesome. Loaded with vitamin A from the butternut squash as well as fibre and protein.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 butternut squash, chopped or sliced

  • 4-5 garlic cloves (whole in skins)

  • Handful of pumpkin seeds (approx 30g)

  • 3 cardamoms, crushed

  • 30g butter

  • 1 tsp chilli flakes

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1-2 tsp cumin

  • Handful of raisins (approx 30g)

  • 2-3 spring onions, finely chopped

  • 150g uncooked camargue rice (or red rice)

  • Bouillon powder

  • Olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

  2. Firstly, to cook the rice. Wash thoroughly and then pop into a saucepan and cover with boiling water and a sprinkling of bouillon powder. Bring to a boil and then simmer and cook according to instructions (usually approx 15-20 minutes) until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

  3. Take off the heat and cool.

  4. Next, peel and chop up your butternut squash and place into a roasting tin.

  5. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and crushed cardamom, dot with lumps of butter, season and scatter the whole garlic.

  6. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the butternut squash has taken on some golden brown colour and is cooked through.

  7. Leave to cool.

  8. Remove the garlic cloves from their skins – they should just pop or squeeze out very easily – and mix into the rice.

  9. Next, add the cumin, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and raisins and mix.

  10. Add in a good glug of olive oil (ideally cold-pressed) to coat the rice nicely.

  11. Add the butternut squash and sprinkle over the chopped spring onions.

  12. Serve hot or cold.