Weekend Recipe: Cinnamon-spiced squash & butter bean stew with chilli cornbread

CINNAMON-SPICED SQUASH & BUTTER BEAN STEW

Definitely the sort of thing Jane would call a “winter warmer”, this cosy, spicy, slightly sweet stew will keep the cold at bay on even the dullest and chilliest of days. If you’re planning on entertaining then this is a great dish to make up ahead of time and simply reheat when your guests arrive, as the flavours will continue to develop long after cooking.

SERVES 6 –8

light oil (such as rapeseed, groundnut or sunflower)
1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2.5-cm (1-inch) chunks
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, cored, deseeded and diced
6 thyme sprigs
1 large rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 x 400g (13oz) cans chopped tomatoes
100g (3Voz) pitted kalamata olives
50ml (2fl oz) maple syrup
400ml (14fl oz) water
3 x 400g (13oz) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper

To serve
Chilli Cornbread (see below)
fresh green salad

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6.

Splash a little oil on to the base of a roasting tin, add the squash pieces, season with salt and mix together thoroughly. Roast for 20 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft and cooked through. Set aside.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic and peppers and cook gently, stirring, for 5–6 minutes, until the onion has softened slightly. Add the herbs and spices, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, olives, maple syrup and water, bring to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced.

Stir in the roasted butternut squash and butter beans and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until the squash is heated through.

Spoon into bowls and serve with Chilli Cornbread and a fresh green salad.

CHILLI CORNBREAD

SERVES 8 –10 AS PART OF A LATIN PARTY

butter, for greasing, plus extra for spreading on the bread
250g (8oz) quick-cook polenta, plus extra for sprinkling
150g (5oz) sweetcorn kernels
1/2 red chilli, trimmed and finely diced
2 spring onions, trimmed
100g (3Voz) smoked Cheddar cheese
100g (3Voz) gluten-free plain flour (or plain flour, for non gluten-free)
45g (2oz) caster sugar
1 bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
250ml (8fl oz) milk
120g (4oz) soured cream
50ml (2fl oz) sunflower oil

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Line the bottom of a 30 x 10-cm (12 x 4-inch) loaf tin with baking parchment. Grease the sides with butter and sprinkle over 2–3 tablespoons of polenta.

Place the remaining polenta and all the other solid ingredients in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. Add the eggs, milk, soured cream and sunflower oil and stir together to combine.

Spoon the cornbread mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45–50 minutes, until lightly golden and the point of a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further before serving, smothered with butter.

Recipes taken from Mildreds The Cookbook available here