Stuffed Mini Squash with a Caramelised Onion and Tomato Stew

It's been freezing outside this week, and I've spent quite a lot of time outside in it. This meal is going to be a heart warmer and make us forget about this good typically British weather.

It has been brought to my attention that I have strayed rather (too?) far from the idea of a Sunday roast. And, as it's been a sufficient amount of time, I'm in the mood for a good roast! I really wanted to do something with butternut squash  but also something that works well as individual portions. Often when roasting and stuffing a butternut squash the portions can be massive, or look messy when served. I've found some lovely little squash and intend to fill them with garlic rice and peas and roast them whole. Each squash will be an individual portion.

I really want to keep this roast simple and so I'll serve the squash with roast potatoes and a caramelised onion and tomato stew, which will serve as a side dish as well as being the gravy.  It's also a chance to get out my little Le Creuzet casserole pots I got for my birthday last year.

Put the whole squash in the oven for about 10 minutes to slightly soften them. Then cut off the tops and scoop out the middles.

Drizzle on some Olive oil and season. Place on a baking tray and cook on 180 degrees for a further 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven ready to be filled.

Meanwhile prepare the filling: In a frying pan, lightly fry your garlic in olive oil. Before the garlic burns, add the rice and fry for about a minute before adding the stock. Let the rice bubble for 10 minutes.

Fill each squash with some frozen peas at the bottom and the rice mixture on top  until full. Pour in the excess liquid from the rice so that the rice can carry on cooking in the oven.

Put the filled squash in the oven (still on 180 degrees) with their lids on and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and a half. I put some foil over the top half way through.

For the gravy/stew I caramelised some onions in a frying pan by frying in olive oil, butter, a teaspoon of sugar and seasoning.  Then add the tomatoes and let them caramelise too. Pour on a good splash of white wine and a teaspoon of vegetable bouillon and let this bubble and thicken for 10 minutes or so.

In fact, what I did here was put all of the ingredients into my mini Le Creuzet pots which I baked at the same time as the squash.

Serve with roast potatoes and anything else you fancy. Will put on the recipe soon!