Jamie Oliver's Hamilton Squash - So Good!

I was flipping through Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef, which R found used at the library bookstore, and the photo of his Hamilton Squash recipe caught my attention. Now that I like butternut squash, this seemed something intriguing to try.

Hollow out a butternut squash and make the filling.

Fill the squash halves.

Then bake the two halves together, placed on top of each other and wrapped in foil.

It takes awhile to cook (1-1/2 hours), but oh my goodness, it's worth the time and effort. The sundried tomatoes add a tang, the mushrooms (I used Trader Joe's dried wild mushroom mix) give it an earthiness, and the red chile flakes add spice.

But the actual squash seeds were a big surprise. I was skeptical and almost left them out (as I did the coriander seeds because we didn't have any and the pine nuts because of a mild allergy). Keeping them in adds a nuttiness, a richness to a vegetarian dish.

It's so delicious! I hope you try it on a lazy weekend afternoon.