'Tis the season for autumnal delights in the kitchen – and that means hearty, wholesome food to warm you up and satisfy your hunger.

And if you find yourself reaching for the same old recipes, this squash, red onion and quinoa bake could well be JUST what you're after. 

It's actually incredible easy to pull together, and particularly with squash in season at the moment, it's also packed full of tasty, everyday ingredients that thankfully don't involve a trip to bizarre health-food stores.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 650-700g of butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 2cm cubes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • A small red onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, cut in half, cleaned thoroughly, and chopped
  • 2/3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Fresh thyme
  • 50/60g of Parmesan, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • 125mls low fat milk 
  • 125g of cooked quinoa

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 220C and cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
  2. Place the cubed squash on the paper with half of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then pop in the oven and roast for about 30minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 180C.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and add your onion. After about 3minutes add the leek and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for another 3-5minutes until tender.
  5. Add the garlic and a handful of thyme and cook, stirring until the garlic is fragrant – 30seconds to a minute. Remove from the heat.
  6. Oil a baking dish or gratin.
  7. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. Next, whisk in the milk. Add onions and leek mixture, the squash, Parmesan and quinoa, and combine well.
  8. Scrape into the prepared baking dish.
  9. Bake for 35 to 40minutes, until set and the top is lightly browned.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10minutes before serving.