Absolutely Nothing To Cook : Ottolenghi Roasted Butternut Squash

I made this last night and it was delicious. It’s also really good cold with a green salad – as proved by the left-overs consumed today.

I didn’t have every single seed and spice but I don’t think it necessarily needs the lot. Just follow the general flavours and you get the same result.

I’ve copied and pasted the original Ottolenghi recipe from The Guardian website. You can see the full page here.

Roasted butternut squash with cardamom and nigella seeds

By roasting the butternut with Indian spices and some stock, it properly soaks up the flavours and ends up tasting marvellous. Serves four.

20g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick slices
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
Salt
30g pumpkin seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds, plus extra to garnish
½ tsp each ground cumin and coriander
¼ tsp ground turmeric
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick
1 green chilli, halved lengthways
1 tbsp caster sugar
200ml vegetable stock
100g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put the butter and oil in a large sauté pan, and fry the onion for eight minutes over medium heat until soft. Add the butternut, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to colour.

Remove from the heat and add half a teaspoon of salt, the seeds, spices, chilli and sugar. Mix and transfer to an ovenproof dish large enough to hold everything snugly. Pour in the stock and roast for 30 minutes, by which point the butternut should be tender and all the liquid absorbed or evaporated.

Serve warm with yoghurt spooned on top, a sprinkling of chopped coriander and a few nigella seeds.

Absolutely Nothing To Wear : Hats off to Ebay

Whilst trawling Ebay for some extra Fisher Price coins to go with the boys’ 1970s cash register….they’re old school kids who like to play shops / demand money….I got a little distracted and found these two fabulous vintage straw hats.

They’re both a little bit small for my not quite so dainty vintage sized head, but I love them all the same. The smaller one does in fact fit (just) so I’m determined to find an occasion to wear it, even if it’s just to visit my 3 year old’s shop.

The “St Trinians Panama”

Two tone straw sun hat

Absolutely Nothing To Wear : Tallulah and Hope Summer 2012 – the perfect kaftan

There was a time I thought Kaftans and Ponchos were only suitable when heavily pregnant. Perfect for loosely covering the bump and any accompanying lumps. Those times have very much changed and now my Summer outfit of choice (when it stops raining) generally involves the poncho / kaftan vibe. I’m not sure of the difference between the two so I’ll use both names. I’m basically describing the same thing.

Tallulah and Hope have been my favourite kaftan / poncho label since they wafted on to the web in 2010. I’ve always been very very partial to a Winter cape (their circle cape ponchos are amazing too) and they helped to lead me seamlessly in to the silk Summer versions. They can be worn over bikinis by the pool, over slips to transform in to the most beautiful dress, over jeans for a casually chic evening party outfit and pretty much anything else you fancy. The cut means you can wear them with the V-neck at the front or back. I like the V – front for daytime / holiday wear and at the back when styling as a dress or top.The belted versions are genius, the fit could not be more flattering and you can even lift your arms way above your head…..which when it comes to kaftans worn with belts is not often the case.

So, the point of this post is really to tell you that their new Summer 2012 collection is now available from their online store and it is completely exquisite.

Trust me, you’ll wear your T&H kaftan / poncho more than you ever believed possible.