Nourishing one-pot meal

Hands-on time 20min. Cooking time about 1hr. Serves 4

1kg (2lb 3½oz) squash, such as a medium butternut or ½ ‘Crown Prince’ 2tbsp olive oil 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed FOR THE SPICY APRICOT SAUCE 2tbsp olive oil About 125g (4oz) shallots, halved and sliced 75g (3oz) unsulphured dried apricots, roughly chopped ½tsp cumin seeds 2tsp freshly grated root ginger 2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed ½tsp dried chilli flakes 400g tin tomatoes 1tsp sugar 2tbsp coarsely chopped preserved lemon (skin and flesh, but no pips) 4tbsp chopped coriander ½ lemon, to spritz

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Cut the squash into slim wedges, 3-4cm (1¼-1½in) wide at the outer edge. Put them into a roasting dish, trickle over 1tbsp oil and brush it all over the squash. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 45min, or until the squash is tender and browned.

Meanwhile, toss the drained chickpeas with another 1tbsp oil and some salt and pepper; set aside.

While the squash is in the oven, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a small-medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt. Once sizzling, turn the heat down and cook for about 8min until the shallots are softened, stirring once or twice.

Add the apricots and cumin and stir over the heat for a couple of minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and a twist of black pepper, and cook for a minute or two longer. Now tip in the tinned tomatoes with their juice. If using whole plum tomatoes, crush them with your hands as they go in, and remove any white stalky bits. Add the sugar.

Bring to a brisk simmer and cook for about 5min, stirring a few times, until the sauce is thick and pulpy. Take off the heat, stir in the chopped preserved lemon and about 3tbsp of the chopped coriander. Taste and add more salt as needed. Set aside.

When the squash is tender, add the seasoned chickpeas to the roasting dish and return to the oven for 5–10min until they are hot. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce if necessary.

Place the squash wedges on a warmed platter or individual plates with the chickpeas. Spoon on the hot sauce and finish with the remaining coriander. Give each plate a little squeeze of lemon juice, then serve.

GH TIP You can replace the squash in this recipe with pretty much any veg you like – try roasted root veg, fennel, or aubergines and courgettes.

PER SERVING 350cals, 10g protein, 13g fat (2g saturates), 42g carbs (23g total sugars), 12g fibre