Speedy butternut squash barley ‘risotto’

barley butternut squash calcium fibre folate healthy low calorie low fat midweek meals quick risotto vitamin c

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Source

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 large shallot or small onion, finely chopped

300g squash or pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes

2 garlic cloves, crushed

small handful of sage leaves, finely chopped

½ tsp ground mace or a good grating of nutmeg

160g spinach leaves

2 x 400g cans barley in water, drained

300ml hot vegetable stock

40g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated

Method

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the shallot with a pinch of salt for 5 mins until soft. Add the squash, garlic, sage and mace, and fry, stirring continually, for another 6-8 mins until the squash is starting to soften and the garlic is fragrant.

Tip in the spinach and barley with some seasoning and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 mins until the spinach has wilted. Add a splash more stock or water, if you like. When the ‘risotto’ is thick and creamy, taste to see if it needs a little more mace or nutmeg and seasoning. Stir in most of the parmesan, then top with the remaining parmesan and grind over some black pepper to serve.