Vegan Sunday lunch: Roast squash with barley

Barley is low-GI and can help lower glucose levels and stabilise insulin production. Try it with roasted butternut squash for a super tasty vegan Sunday lunch

Serves 6

700g butternut squash, peeled, cubed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey
300g pearl barley
100ml rapeseed oil and mustard dressing (see below)
120g dried cranberries
100g baby spinach leaves
100g rocket leaves
Bunch of fresh mint, roughly chopped
100g pumpkin seeds

Rapeseed oil and mustard dressing dressing (Makes 325ml)

½ tsp salt
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp English mustard powder
75ml white wine vinegar
150ml sunflower oil
100ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Method (dressing)

Put all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well.

Method (main)

1 Preheat oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan/gas mark 7. Put the squash in a roasting tin, sprinkle with olive oil, cinnamon, chilli flakes and seasoning. Toss to coat. Roast for 15 mins, turn, drizzle with honey and roast for a further 10 mins, until sweet, caramelised and tender.
2 Meanwhile, put the pearl barley in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 35 mins, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Toss in 4 tbsp of the dressing.
3 Spread the pearl barley in the bottom of a large, shallow serving dish. Cover with the squash, then cranberries. Mix spinach, rocket and mint, and arrange on top. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Roasted squash and pearl barley salad from The Ginger & White Cookbook by Tonia George, Emma Scott & Nicholas Scott (Mitchell Beazley, £18.99; www.octopusbooks.co.uk). Photography by Jenny Zarins.

Summary

Recipe Name

Roast squash with barley

Author Name

Healthy Magazine

Published On

2015-02-15

Cook Time

50M