Recipes | HQNutrition

Roast butternut squash and red lentil soup

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (approx 700g–1kg)

2 tsp sunflower oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock

120g split red lentils

white pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 7. Cut the butternut squash into quarters lengthways, scoop out the seeds, brush with a little of the oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the onion and carrot to the pan with 1 tsp of the oil, cook gently for a few minutes, until the onion starts to brown.
Now, pour the stock into the pan and add the lentils, stir together and simmer for around 15 minutes.
Remove the butternut squash from the oven, scoop out the flesh and add to the soup.
Simmer for a further 5 minutes, add a good pinch of pepper, then whizz with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth.
Serve with half-fat crème fraiche and chives, if liked.

Red lentil soup

Ingredients

100g red lentils

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

600ml good vegetable stock

2 tbsp light crème fraîche

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

freshly ground black pepper

bread, to serve

Method

Place the lentils, onion, carrot, garlic and stock into a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender.
Transfer to a blender with the crème fraîche and parsley and blend until smooth. Season and serve with a chunk of bread

Quick turkey couscous

Ingredients

Method

Roughly tear the turkey slices and put in a large bowl with the salad and couscous. Add a drizzle of olive oil and toss well. Divide between two plates, then sprinkle each with the pomegranate seeds. Grind over pepper to serve.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER TABBOULEH

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and the hard inner core, then roughly chop up the florets (don’t worry about how they look, they are going to be blitzed). Put the cauliflower in the large bowl of a food processor, blitz for 30 secs until it resembles couscous grains, then tip into a large bowl.
Mix the spices and olive oil into the cauliflower and season to taste. Spread the cauliflower ‘couscous’ out on a large baking tray in an even, thin layer. Roast for 12 mins, mixing halfway through so that it is evenly toasted, then set aside to cool slightly.
Once at room temperature, stir through the remaining ingredients and season to taste, then sprinkle over the mint lemon.

Roasted beetroot quinoa and grilled halloumi salad.

Ingredients

1 bunch raw beetroot (4 large), peeled and sliced into wedges
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into the same sized chunks as the beetroot
4 red onions, sliced into wedges
2 tbs of olive oil
200g quinoa, rinsed
1l vegetable stock
2 x 250g packs halloumi, each block cut into 6 slices

For the dressing

Method

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the beetroot, squash and red onion in a large roasting tin. Cut the top off the garlic bulb (the garlic is for the dressing) and drizzle with a little of the olive oil before wrapping in foil and adding to the tin. Season the vegetables and pour the remaining oil over them. Roast for 40-45 mins, turning the vegetables halfway through.
Meanwhile, put the quinoa and stock in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins. Drain and return to the pan, off the heat. When the vegetables are roasted, set the garlic bulb aside and stir the remaining vegetables through the quinoa. To make the dressing, carefully squeeze the roasted garlic from the bulb into a small bowl. Add the lemon, juice, oil, honey and seasoning and mix.
Enjoy.