Prep time:

Cooking time: 1 hour

Total time:

Serves: 4

400g Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato (diced into 3cm cubes)

3tbsp Olive Oil

2tsp Salt

1 Small Aubergine, cut into 4cm chunks

1 Large Chopped Brown Onion

1 Red Pepper (seeded and cut into thick strips)

2 Crushed Garlic Cloves

1x 3cm Piece of Ginger, grated

3tsp Toasted Ground Coriander

1.5tsp Ground Cumin

½tsp Ground Allspice

½tsp Mild Paprika

1tsp Caraway Seeds

400g Chopped Tomatoes

1 Long Green Chillies

2tbsp Honey

400g Tinned Chickpeas

50g Kalamata Olives (pitted)

After discovering they were both keen cooks, Sydney-based mums Sophie Gilliatt and Katherine Westwood came up with the idea of preparing dinners to deliver to time-poor friends, who wanted to give good wholesome food to their families, but just didn’t have time to make it themselves

  1. Defrost before reheating gently – the pumpkin or sweet potato will be delicate.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two baking trays with baking paper. Toss the pumpkin in 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the eggplant and zucchini in 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and spread over the two trays. Don’t overcrowd the vegetables, or they’ll stew instead of roast. Roast in the oven for around 35 minutes for the pumpkin, and 25 minutes for the eggplant and zucchini till everything is caramelised and cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, slowly cook the onion, red capsicum, garlic and ginger in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan over low heat for 10–15 minutes. When soft and translucent, add the spices and the tomatoes. Add the whole chillies (in one piece, stalk and all), then 400 ml (14 fl oz) of water. Simmer for 30 minutes, then add the honey. Add the roast vegetables, chickpeas and olives to the spiced broth. Stir together gently, adding more water if it is too thick. Taste for seasoning.
  4. Serve with couscous, chopped herbs and garlic yoghurt sauce.
  5. Garlic Yoghurt Sauce: Combine 260 g (91/2 oz/1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt with 1–2 crushed garlic cloves, a good pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Beat together, taste for balance and adjust. Easy, hey?
  6. Couscous: To lift your couscous up a notch, use stock instead of water (following the instructions on the packet). After it has cooked, fluff it up with a fork, then stir through any combination of chopped fresh herbs, toasted almonds and pistachios, diced preserved lemon, pomegranate seeds, thinly sliced spring onions (scallions) and currants or barberries. Maybe not all at once, though you could give it a whirl.

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