I settled on a giant mushroom, filled with garlicky spinach and pine nuts and a slice of roasted butternut squash. Then encased the whole thing in a big sheet of puff pastry and bake until crisp and golden.

1 butternut squash
6 large flattish mushrooms
1 pack boursin garlic and herb cheese
100g or so pine nuts
2 big bunches of spinach
3 packs of ready rolled puff pastry

Start by roasting the butternut. Take the thin end (without the seeds), peel and cut into six slices about 1cm thick. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season then roast in the oven at 200C for about 20 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, wash the spinach then wilt in a large pan. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then chop roughly.

Take a small frying pan and place over a medium to high heat. Add the pine nuts and toss them gently until toasted. remove from the heat and add to the spinach. Now stir in the pack of Boursin, season with salt and black pepper. Leave to cool.

Peel the mushrooms and remove the stems. Divide the spinach mixture evenly between the six mushrooms then top each with a slice of butternut.

Now take the puff pastry. If using ready rolled, cut each sheet in half then place the filled mushroom, mushroom side down, in the middle of half a sheet. Now carefully fold in each corner in the middle ensuring there are no gaps. Turn the filled ball over and place on a foil or parchment lined baking tray.

When all the mushrooms are wrapped, brush the pastry with a little milk, cut a small steam slit in each then bake for about 25 minutes at 200C until browned.

I served this with a platter of mixed roasted vegetables (beetroot, turnip, parsnip, carrot), roast potatoes, peas, sprouts, brocolli and a gravy made from caramelised onions, vegetable stock, marmite and conrflour.

From the wonderful World Food Cafe in Covent Garden.

I have only made this two times in the past 4 or 5 years since I was given the World Food Cafe cook book. I had the urge last night to make it again then took it over to a neighbours house to eat.

This made enough to feed 6-8 with rice and soured cream.

2x400g tins of black beans (or aduki) – drained
1 large red onion – chopped
4 cloves garlic – finely chopped
3 red chilis – finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
knob of butter
450g sweet potatoes – peeled and cubed
1 small squash – I had a red kuri squash from the allotment which I peeled, seeded and cubed
2 carrots – peeled and cubed
1 red pepper – cubed
1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
vegetable stock – about 300ml
lots of coriander and parsley – chopped
2 bay leaves
salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan then fry the onion, garlic and chili until soft. Add the drained beans, then the tomatoes and stock. Simmer gently.

In a large frying pan, heat the butter then fry the sweet potatoes, squash, carrot and pepper until they start to soften. Add to the beans, then top up with stock if needed. Simmer until everything soft. Then add the coriander and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

1 butternut squash – peeled, seeds removed and chopped into ½cm cubes
1 onion – chopped
1 yellow pepper – cut into ½cm pieces
2 tomatoes – chopped
splash of olive oil
salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I think thyme might work well here too)
6 sheets of dried lasagne
large knob of butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
milk – about 350ml I think
cheddar – 100g should do it, but use more if you like it very cheesy

Turn oven on to 190C.

Place the butternut, tomatoes, onion and pepper in a dish. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and place in oven for about an hour until everything soft and starting to char a little.

Remove from oven, add oregano and set to one side.

Now make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the flour. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes then slowly, little by little, add the milk, stirring all the time to remove lumps. As the sauce starts to thicken add the cheese and stir until melted and the sauce is creamy and thick. Remove from heat.

Take a large ovenproof dish. Place half the vegetable mixture on the bottom, cover with three sheets of lasagne, then another layer of vegetables, then the other three sheets of lasagne. Cover with the cheese sauce and bake for 30 minutes until brown on top and bubbling.

Serve with green salad or with finely shredded spring cabbage, boiled for five minutes then dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.