Friday Recipe Choices : Cheesy Bean and Lentil Bake or Squash and Turkey Bake

The weeks seem to fly by and many may be asking, are you sure it's Friday Jan?

Well, as I post this, yes Friday is here and I share two recipe suggestions ...

I wonder, which one takes your eye?

Cheesy Bean and Lentil Bake

This hearty veggie lentil bake can be prepared in advance and topped with cheese and breadcrumbs just before cooking.

Ingredients
Serves 4 - 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 courgette/zucchini, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp crushed dried chilli flakes
½ tsp dried oregano
100g/3½oz brown basmati rice
500ml/18fl oz vegetable stock
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin mixed beans in water, drained
400g tin lentils in water, drained
2 tbsp tomato purée (sun-dried is nice)
150g/5oz mature cheddar, grated
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook over a medium–low heat for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the courgette/zucchini, garlic, chilli and oregano and cook for 2–3 minutes.
3. Stir in the rice and season with salt and pepper. Pour in half the vegetable stock and a tin of tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the rice is al dente ( cooked to be firm to the bite) has absorbed most of the stock.
4. Add the remaining stock and tomatoes, the beans, lentils and tomato purée. Cook for 5 minutes to reduce a little. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, you may need to add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
5. Stir in 100g/3½oz of cheese and pour into a large ovenproof dish. Top with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
6. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes, until the topping is crisp and bubbling. Leave to sit for 2–3 minutes before serving with steamed greens.

Based on six servings, each portion provides
17g protein, 36g carbohydrate (of which 10g sugars), 15g fat (of which 6g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.7g salt.
From an idea seen here

Squash and turkey bake

This recipe swaps traditional shepherd’s pie ingredients for turkey and butternut squash, with delicious results.

Ingredients
Serves Four
a medium-sized butternut squash
a little olive oil
a large onion
a large clove of garlic
15 chestnut mushrooms
3 sprigs thyme
500g/1lb 2oz minced/ground turkey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a little flour
400ml/14fl oz red wine
a little Worcestershire sauce
a knob of butter
a little orange zest

Method
1. Preheat the oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6. Peel, seed and roughly chop the butternut squash. Put the pieces of squash in a steamer basket and place over boiling water. Steam for 20-30 minutes until fully tender. They must be soft enough to mash.
2. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Warm a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook until pale gold. Cut the mushrooms into thick slices or quarters and add to the pan with the leaves from the thyme sprigs. Fry until softened, then transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Add a further tablespoon of oil to the pan, then, as soon as it starts to sizzle, add the minced turkey. Season generously with salt and pepper and then stir in a couple of heaped tablespoons of flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the red wine and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Simmer at a low temperature for 5 minutes then add the mushrooms and onions. Continue cooking for 5 minutes then tip into a baking dish.
4. Mash the cooked squash with a potato masher then stir in a generous knob of butter and the grated orange zest, to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pile the mash on top of the turkey, dot with more of the butter, then bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the mash is lightly browned and slightly crisp on top.

This meal based on four servings each serving provides
40g protein, 22g carbohydrate (of which 12g sugars), 10g fat (of which 3g saturates), 6g fibre and 0.5g salt per portion.
From an idea seen here

~ some flowers to brighten your day ~

This blog offers a wide variety of recipes/food ideas, and not all may be suitable for you. Any allergies, or underlying health issues must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan