Recipe: Brilliantly Bonkers Butternut Breakfast

I'm always on the lookout for new breakfast ideas, especially on weekends or days off where I have time to be a bit more creative.  On weekdays I pretty much always stick to my favourite, avocado mashed with lemon juice, salt and pepper on toast, it's a winning formula!

I adore butternut squash and coconut and there's a favourite Isa Chandra Moscovitz recipe for Butternut-Coconut Rice that I go to a lot for an extra special side. It's very savoury and I wouldn't fancy the flavours for breakfast, but I really wanted something based on these flavours ... so I came up with the:

Brilliantly Bonkers Butternut Breakfast!

Makes 4 portions

100g jasmine rice

1 butternut squash

1/2 stock cube

1 400ml tin coconut milk

1 400g tin chickpeas (240g drained/cooked)

1/4 tsp black pepper

Pinch chilli flakes

To top each portion: 

30g raw cashews

5g golden linseeds (flaxseeds)

Cut your butternut squash in half, place cut side down on a baking tray or in a roasting tin, and bake on 200 C for an hour.

When it's done let it cool a bit, then use a sharp knife to take the skin off and the seeds out.

Chop the flesh into rough chunks and mash a little bit, leaving some pieces whole.

Meanwhile, put the jasmine rice, coconut milk and stock cube in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and let it cook for about half an hour. You'll need to stir it every few minutes so that it doesn't stick.

After the rice has cooked for half an hour, stir in the squash and chickpeas, pepper and chilli flakes.

Heat it all through, giving the occasional stir, for ten minutes or so until nicely combined and warmed throughout.

Divide between 4 bowls. (If like me it's just for you, then put the other 3 portions in storage containers, let cool, then refrigerate. You'll do the topping individually each day once you've reheated in a saucepan with a little water if needed.)

For the topping, take a clean dry saucepan or frying pan, pop the cashews in and put over a high heat. Do not walk away! Shake the pan every now and then. When your cashews are toasted enough, throw in the linseeds. 30 seconds later remove from heat and sprinkle over your breakfast.

Unusually for me I didn't add any salt at all when serving, the little bit that the stock cube provided seemed to be perfect! Enjoy!