USAThis is the last bowl in the series and probably the quietest one. The squash softens everything — the colour, the flavour, the feeling. I make it when it is already cold outside and I want something warm not just in temperature but in character.
Use nutmeg sparingly — literally a pinch. An eighth of a teaspoon for the whole batch. It is a powerful spice and it very easily takes over everything else.
Spiced Butternut-Sweet Potato Bowl
By Sergei Martynov
Roasted butternut squash and sweet potato together, ground turkey with warm autumn spices, cottage cheese, avocado, and hot honey. The gentlest bowl in this series. Sweet potato holds its shape and caramelises at the edges; squash softens into something almost melting. Together they make a base that is richer and more layered than either one alone.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 350 g
See recipes with butternut squashbutternut squash
i - 350 g
See recipes with sweet potatoessweet potatoes
i - 500 g
See recipes with lean ground turkeylean ground turkey
i - 200 g
See recipes with cottage cheesecottage cheese
i - 2 piece
See recipes with avocadosavocados
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with hot honeyhot honey
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with olive oilolive oil
i - 3 piece
See recipes with garlic clovesgarlic cloves
i - 0.5 tsp
See recipes with cinnamoncinnamon
i - 0.125 tsp
See recipes with ground nutmegground nutmeg
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with smoked paprikasmoked paprika
i - 0.5 tsp
- 0.5 tspSee recipes with garlic powder
garlic powder
i - 1 tsp
- 0.5 tsp
See recipes with black pepperblack pepper
i - 0.5 tsp
See recipes with chili flakeschili flakes
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Peel and seed the butternut squash and cut into 2.5 cm cubes. Peel the sweet potato and cut into slightly smaller 1.5 to 2 cm cubes.
- 2
Toss both together on a large lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer. Roast 28 to 32 minutes, flipping once halfway.
- 3
While the vegetables roast, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and break it apart. Cook 5 to 6 minutes.
- 4
Add cumin, the remaining smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper to the turkey. Stir well and cook 2 more minutes.
- 5
Season the cottage cheese with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- 6
Assemble: roasted squash and sweet potato as the base, turkey alongside, cottage cheese in its own zone, half an avocado per bowl. Drizzle hot honey over everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why mix squash and sweet potato — what does it add?
Sweet potato is denser and sweeter. Butternut squash is softer with a faint nuttiness. Together they give a more complex autumnal base: sweet potato caramelises, squash almost melts.
How to roast them together — don't they cook at different rates?
Cut squash into 2.5-3 cm cubes, sweet potato into 1.5-2 cm. They will finish at the same time. Both want 220°C and the same spice mix.
What spices work best with butternut squash and sweet potato?
Cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked paprika, salt, pepper. Add spices before roasting — high heat opens the aromatics.
Can you use frozen butternut squash?
Yes, but thaw completely and pat very dry. Raise oven to 230°C. Fresh gives better texture but frozen works for weeknights.
How does this bowl differ from the others in the series?
The softest and most autumnal. Less heat, more warm spice. The squash makes the base gentler. Suits a cold evening when you want comfort, not intensity.
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