Za'atar spiced baked feta with roasted butternut squash

I'm still trying to create dishes that are maximum taste, but which can work on the '2' days of the 5:2 diet. I know that 40g feta cheese is 100 kcals, whilst 100g of cooked butternut squash is 40 kcals. The recipe below is hearty and robust in flavours to satisfy on any 500 calorie fast diet day. I used the jar of za'tar I got at Christmas from Sister in law Spread to add a Middle Eastern delight to the dish. Za'tar is a fragrent blend of herbs and spices which includes sesame seeds, thmye, oregano, marjoram and sumac. I estimate that a portion of this warm salad comes in at under 250 calories, but you would never guess it from the flavour.


What you will need
500g butternut squash
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes (c12)
160g feta cheese
2 tea spoons za'atar
1/2 tea spoon chilli flakes
1/2 fresh lemon
Little gem lettuce


Firstly peel and and chop the squash. Add it to a roasting tin with the thickly sliced onion and thinly sliced garlic cloves. Drizzle over a small table spoon of olive oil and toss the squash through and season with salt. Place the squash in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for 40-45 minutes, tossing once or twice, until cooked and caramelised.


Meanwhile, place the 160g block of feta in a seperate non stick roasting dish and top with the za'atar and chilli flakes, along with the juice of half the lemon.

After 25 minutes of the squash roasting, add the feta to the oven to bake.


After a further 10 minutes, top the squash with the cherry tomatoes and toss.


When the squash has cooked and the feta has browned, split between four protions and plate up a-top some crisp fresh little gem lettuce leaves. Gipsy Spread also had some chorizo sausage with his salad.


You won't believe you are fasting!