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Health and wellbeing

Tasty Tagine with Butternut Squash

A gently spiced and warming stew for a filling dinner, which can be cooked by oven or hob. Try serving with rice, couscous, or flatbreads to make it go further. And this can be frozen too.

These recipes are designed for you to cook together as a family. The best bits for children to help with are shown in blue, and little hands can always help with measuring ingredients and washing up!

Serves: 4-6
Approximate cost per adult serving: 59-88p
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder or grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon mild chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
  • 2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
  • 1 courgette, cut into small chunks
  • 2x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 400g can chickpeas
  • Greek yoghurt (to serve)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Wash the vegetables and prepare – peel the onion and garlic, peel and chop the squash, and chop the courgette, carrots, onion, and garlic. Take care when preparing the butternut squash as they can be firm.
  2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onions, cooking for about 10 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to make sure they do not burn (to keep little hands busy, get them to measure out into a bowl first).
  3. Add the other vegetables and tinned tomatoes and bring to a simmer for around 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender when tested using a fork.
  4. Drain the chickpeas, then add to the pan. Cook for another few minutes until they are heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste – remember to remove a portion first if preparing for little ones.
  5. Serve with a spoonful of Greek or natural yoghurt.

Equipment

  • Sharp knife
  • Chopping board
  • Saucepan or ovenproof dish

Modify Me

  • Butternut squash can be replaced by sweet potato and you can try adding a few chopped dried apricots for some extra sweetness. You can also add peppers if you have any.
  • If you like you can add some chicken and cook until browned before step 3.
  • Remember to make sure vegetables are chopped up small and chunks of butternut are squashed for babies under 1.
  • If you prefer you can complete steps 2-4 in the oven – roast the veg for 30mins, then carefully add the spices, tomatoes, and chickpeas and mix well. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until cooked through then serve.

Foodie Fact

One serving of butternut squash contains more than your daily recommendation of Vitamin A and 50% of your daily recommendation of Vitamin C! Vitamin A is important for eye health and both Vitamins C and A are good for the immune system.


This recipe has been adapted from BBC Food

 

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