My Liverpool aunties are ridiculously creative both in crafts and in the kitchen. With a few fussy eaters in the family and a couple of complicated diets, this is where their imaginative prowess comes into its own. Why shouldn’t a veggie dish become the centrepiece?

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/gas 7).
• Brush the inside of the squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking tray and roast for 40–45 minutes, or until tender.
• While the squash is roasting, rinse the quinoa and add it to a saucepan with the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, baby spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, feta and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Once the squash is done roasting, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Turn the halves over and stuff each with the quinoa mixture. Return the stuffed squash to the oven and roast for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until everything is heated through. I love to serve this with a drizzle of herby mint sauce.

Note: Did you know, you can plant your discarded squash seeds? Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil and plant the seeds in late spring after the last frost, about 2.5cm (1in) deep and 60–90cm (2–3 feet) apart, watering regularly.

Recipe extracted from Everyday Comfort (Quadrille)