I did warn you that I was now on the butternut squash train, and it was no lie. This veg is here to stay (until January…). The gorgeous orange colour just makes me feel so cheerful! Which is very much appreciated when the weather’s a bit miserable outside.

Do you know one way to transform butternut squash in one easy step? Those of you who bothered to read the title of this post will know: caramelise it. Then add some quinoa and pop it in a tortilla with plenty of greens to make these gorgeous caramelised butternut squash and quinoa burritos. An incredible vegan lunch!

When you’re caramelising your squash, you’ll end up with loads of wonderfully crispy bits on the bottom of the pan. And these crispy bits: oh my word. Sooo much flavour – beautiful, sweet flavour. Along with the spinach and coriander I put in my burritos, they were definitely still a lunch or dinner dish rather than a dessert – but the sweetness adds an amazing extra dimension. Just looook at all the criiiispy!

It takes a little while to caramelise the squash, but thankfully it’s fairly hands-off time – if you stir the squash too often while it’s cooking, you won’t get the crispy bits on the bottom (and those are the bits that have all the flavour!!). So, it’s actually a good thing if you have a little sit down while you’re cooking (always a plus). Get yourself a newspaper or a good book, or that form you’ve been meaning to fill in for the last fortnight, and just give your squash a poke every now and then to make sure it’s caramelising evenly.

Then all you need to do is mix in your cooked quinoa, and your filling is ready!

Add the whole lot to a tortilla along with some fresh coriander and plenty of greens, and hey presto, you’re good to go!

Print Caramelised butternut squash and quinoa burritos Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 2 Ingredients 1 tbsp oil

400 g butternut squash flesh around half a medium squash, grated

1 onion halved then sliced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp sugar optional

80 g quinoa

Salt

Black pepper

2 large flour tortillas I used herbed ones, but any will do

Handful of fresh spinach roughly chopped

4 tbsp fresh coriander roughly chopped Instructions Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the grated squash, onion and garlic. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring only occasionally. You can add a touch of sugar to help the caramelisation process if you want to.

While the squash is cooking, boil the quinoa in a pan of water until it is soft and the spiral-shaped germ has become detached. Drain, and set aside.

Continue to cook the squash, not stirring too often, until it caramelises and begins to turn golden brown (around 30 minutes in total). When it's ready, add the cooked quinoa and season well. Mix to combine.

Serve the mixture wrapped in flour tortillas with fresh spinach and plenty of fresh coriander. Author: Becca Heyes

Here’s another vegan quinoa recipe – garlicky quinoa bowls with broccoli and chickpeas!