Sicilian Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew

Last week I decided to make Jamie Oliver's Sicilian Squash and Chickpea Stew. It's a lovely winter warmer and doesn't take all that long... Minus the cooking time of the Butternut Squash obviously ;-)

So, before you start you need to make sure you have the following ingredients:

1 butternut squash (about 1.2kg)
olive oil
1/2 bunch of fresh coriander (15g)
40g raisins (optional... I don't use them as I'm not a fan)
50g mixed olives, stones in (stones out is OK too!)
1 can of chickpeas in water (400g)
1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
1 vegetable stock cube
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 onions
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (this is to taste... The hotter you like your food, the more you can use)
1 mug (320g) couscous (I used 2 packets of dried for 2 people)
Fat free natural yoghurt


First you want to cook your squash. Now, I absolutely hate peeling these things and chopping them so I cheat a bit.... I put the whole thing in the oven to cook instead! Set the oven to around 200 degrees C/ Gas mark 6 and prick the skin with a fork. Leave it to roast for about 40 minutes. I would usually cook it for way longer but we'll be chopping it up and adding it to the stew to cook for a further 40 mins later.

Once the 40 mins are up, chop the squash in half length ways and scoop out the pulp and seeds. If it's really tough to cut then you might want to leave it in for a little longer. Once it's in 2 halves you want to score the squash into squares. You can leave it now while you cook the stew.

Put a full kettle of water on to boil. 

Put a lug of oil in a large pan (a casserole one if you have it.. If not a normal one will do) on a low heat and roughly chop both the onions. Add these to the pan along with the chilli, the cinnamon and the raisins if you're using them. Finely chop the stalks of the coriander and add these to the pan too. Cook for 20 minutes with the lid on, adding a little boiling water to allow the onions etc to sweat. You don't want the pan to be swimming with water, just enough water to stop the cinnamon from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once the 20 minutes are up you want to add the squash, followed by the olives (bash the stones out of them first if you've got ones with the stones in), the chickpeas (juice as well!) and the chopped tomatoes. Crumble in the stock cube and add 500ml of boiling water (if you feel you need to add a little less then that's OK) . Turn the heat up to medium and simmer for 40 minutes, lid off, until the stew is lovely and thick. Stir occasionally.

Cook the couscous how the packet instructs and tip it onto a large plate once it's done. Spoon the stew over the top and drizzle the natural yoghurt over the whole thing. Then scatter the fresh coriander leaves around the edge. And you're all done! Enjoy!

DML xxx

Sweet Pea and Chicken Risotto

I've been experimenting with a few of Jamie's recipes from his cook book entitled "Save with Jamie" over the past couple of weeks. There are some recipes that are a bit.. "meh" but some of them are real keepers. Last week it was the turn of Jamie's Sweet Pea and Chicken Risotto...

So... Most people I speak to about Risotto seem to be petrified of it! It seems to have gained itself quite a reputation for being the hardest thing to cook. I can categorically say that's not the case - it's the best "no brain power" meal to cook and doesn't really take all that long. You can jazz it up with rocket, keep it simple with chicken and mushroom or go for something more colourful like roasted butternut squash. Whatever you chose to use as the starring role, the basis of the meal will always be the same:

1 large, finely chopped onion ( I actually used some shallots for my sweet pea risotto but it's entirely up to you)

Optional - 1 finely chopped carrot

Optional - Finely chopped celery (about 2 sticks, give or take)

3 cloves garlic (or however much you fancy. I love garlic so the more the merrier for me!)

Arborio risotto rice (you can get this from all good supermarkets)

Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. A healthy chunk - about 100g

Good stock. (If you have some left over from a roast then great but if not, Knorr stock pots are perfectly adequate. Use the chicken one or vegetable, depending on your ingredients).
 The added extras will depend entirely on what you fancy. For the purpose of this recipe I've chosen frozen garden peas (about 3 handfuls) and some diced chicken. I actually used some frozen cooked chicken from a roast I’d cooked the night before but fresh chicken works just as well. In this recipe you'll be using uncooked chicken.


Make sure you prepare your stock first. Whether you're using homemade or a stock pot have it ready in a Pyrex style jug so you can add it when you need to. About a pint of stock should do. Ensure you have a full kettles worth of boiled water as well - this may come in handy later on.

So, firstly fry off the onions/ shallots in a little olive oil or butter. If you're using celery and carrots add them here too. Cook for a few minutes or until the onions are soft and see through and then add the garlic and some chicken, if you're using it. Cook for a minute or two more or until the chicken has browned and then add the Arborio rice. Stir for 2 - 3 minutes, making sure the rice has had a chance to heat up. I know it seems odd adding rice to pretty much dry pan but the rice needs a chance to warm through to ensure it achieves the right consistency later on.

Once you've stirred the rice through, you need to begin adding the stock. Add it a little at a time and only add more when the last lot has been absorbed by the rice. A splash at a time will be fine, or you can use a ladle. Keep stirring and adding until all the stock has been used up.

Once you've used up all the stock it's time to do a bit of "try it and see" style cooking! From now on keep adding boiling water from the kettle until the rice has cooked through. You want an aldante texture - a little bit of bite but not too much. Add some frozen garden peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

When you're happy with the texture add some grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese along with a chunk of butter. Mix it through until you have a soft consistency. Add some extra boiling water from the kettle if it's a bit sticky.

Once you're happy with the consistency serve up, adding some rocket on top with some shavings of Parmesan or Pecorino. And that's it! A great recipe for a dinner party or if you're planning a romantic meal in ;-)

Happy cooking!

Lots of Love,
Dizzy Lizzy xxx

 

Sweet Pea and Chicken Risotto

Dizzy Lizzy's top tip - if you fancy trying butternut squash instead, make sure you roast it in the oven first for around 30 minutes or until golden. I like to roast mine with some fresh thyme but it's entirely up to you. Soften the chunks of squash up with a potato masher or fork before adding to your Risotto, right at the end after you've added the Parmesan or Pecorino. You can also add some roasted beetroot for an added special touch along with the rocket on top!