Halloween dinner

This week we had halloween, that is not something that used to be celebrated in England but y'all know that since my trips to Texas and Boston this summer I am as American as apple pie.  I'm so American now that I will probably get a vote in the presidential election.  So of course I wanted to do something for halloween. Baboons can't go trick or treating, human parents think our costumes are too good and it gives us a natural advantage (costumes heee heee heee)!!!

The human inhabitants of Baboon HQ didn't think that baboons with sharp knives carving out the middles of pumpkins would be good for the new carpet, or the baboons for that matter, so we decided to cook a halloween dinner.

To be precise Edward, my brother who used to live and work in the shop thought it was time that he did some family activities, so he took charge of the cooking and made:

Butternut squash bake

Serves 2

 

The first thing Edward did was to get the ingredients together to make sure he had everything he needed.  Edward is a very organised baboon, I think that is because he had a job.

 

 

 

Annoyingly I can't get this picture to rotate, grrr come on Blogger.  He wasn't lying down when he did this.  But anyway he chopped and prepared the ingredients ready for the cooking stages.

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash                         

1 leek

6 medium mushrooms       

1 large red chilli

50gms puy lentils  (if you are not keen on lentils it is still nice without them but they do add something, I think Edward called it nutritional value, but I think its flavour and texture).                                                   

2 bay leaves (optional)

200mls water                                                            

Sunflower oil for roasting and sautéing

Black pepper for seasoning                                   

Salt for seasoning (if required)

Cheese for topping (medium cheddar works well)

Crisps (potato chips for our US friends) for topping (Walkers Thai Sweet Chilli Sensations work well. I think Walkers are Lays in the US any flavour will be good).

Crusty bread

Equipment

Casserole dish for roasting

Covered pan for sautéing (wok with lid works well)
Saucepan for lentils

Method
Pre-heat fan oven to 200^oc (220 if it is not a fan over)

Peel and de-seed the squash, and cut into 2cm cubes. Mind your fingers when you are doind this.

De-seed the chilli and finely chop (don't wipe your eyes while you are doing this), and combine in the casserole dish with the squash and 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil.

Mix together and place in oven for 20 minutes, basting after 10 minutes.

Whilst roasting the squash, put the lentils, water and bay leaves into a small saucepan and bring to the boil.  Turn down the heat to a simmer, and leave uncovered for 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft and virtually dry.  If during the cooking the lentils appear too dry, add a little more water.

Whilst cooking the squash and lentils, chop the leek and mushrooms.  Soften the leek and add the chopped mushrooms in the sautéing pan.  Season with black pepper and salt, if required.  When cooked down, drain off any excess liquid into the lentils, for added flavour.

After roasting the squash for 20 minutes, mix the lentils (remove the bay leaves), leak and mushrooms with the squash, in the casserole dish.

Crush the crisps, and combine with the grated cheese.  Spread over the mix and place back in the oven until crisp and brown.  Usually 10 – 15 minutes.

 

 

Edward got the dish ready for the oven and put it.

 

Now Edward is the sort of baboon who multi-tasks and he decided not to waste time while the dish was cooking so he decided to have a nap on the baboon futon.

 

 

Now he was lying down in this picture.  You see he is a baboon who never wastes a moment.

Luckily Edward woke up in time to get the butternut squash bake out of the oven.

 

 

Serve with chunks of warm crusty bread.