Need to use up butternut squash and cavolo nero - mind has gone blank

[HalloumiFries]

I had planned for tea tonight, a sort of butternut squash, chickpea and tomato stew with loads of feta stirred through. I would normally add spinach to this too but on this occasion have some cavolo nero to be used up so, although not ideal, that would have gone in too. I make this quite often and it's the feta that really brings it all together. I was planning to serve with brown rice. Anyway, it's a disaster - turns out the feta I was planning to use up has been sitting for longer than I had though - it's slimy and stinks.

I could make the same thing without the feta but I feel it really needs this otherwise will just be a fairly bland veggie stew. I'm sure I can do something else with these ingredients but my mind has gone completely blank. I keep thinking curry but I have no coconut milk or yoghurt and not sure if I can do this with just a tomato base?

I have no way of getting to any shops today and I really need to use up the butternut (already roasted in chunks with half used last night) and the cavolo nero. Other ingredients available to me are:

tomatoes - 3 fresh plus cans of chopped
2 eggs
1 green pepper
onions - red and brown
various pulses - lentils, butterbeans, cannellini beans, pinto beans, chickpeas
mushrooms
most standard herbs and spices plus sage, rosemary, mint and oregano in the garden and one lone fresh chilli (green) in the fridge.
rice - brown, long grain, basmati, arborio and wild
pasta - various
celery
small amount cheddar cheese
carrots
frozen broccoli
frozen peas
frozen spinach

Any thoughts? I'd prefer a veggie option but it doesn't have to be. We tend to only eat meat at the weekend but I have some chicken and sausages, plus veggie sausages, in the freezer.

We've been eating pasta almost every night recently so I'd really like to stay away from that. DH and I (wfh) are having soup for lunch so I'm also keen not to have soup for dinner too.

I'm usually good at this but my mind is totally blank right now. I'm too fixated on what I can't make to start thinking about what I could do.

Was going to suggest minestrone soup with a cheesy crouton on top, but see you don't want soup. What about a Spanish omelette, have you got any salad to go with, or a veggie jambalaya with curry seasonings in.

Or a spceal egg fried rice?

Risotto

I'd make a warm lentil salad with it. Wilt or lightly fry the Cavalo Nero and mix with the roasted butternut (which should be warmed up). You could also consider caramelising some onions. Serve on a bed of lentils (cooked/flavoured in whatever way you like I'd probably add some chopped onion, the tomatoes chopped and possibly some frozen peas when cooking them plus your preferred herbs/spices) with a dressing of your choice. If you've got limited options then even just olive oil and some vinegar (preferably sherry/red wine but balsamic would be fine) would work.

Turn it into a spicy tomato based stew with cheesy dumplings or a cobbler topping made with cheddar and sage. If you can't incorporate the cavalo Nero into the dish, it would make a dramatic contrast as a side

Or, if you don't fancy making a cobbler topping, similar combo as a pasta bake with a cheese sauce on top.

Risotto! 100%

I don't know why I didn't think of risotto! So obvious. I'm now torn between this and the jambalya/spiced rice type thing which is something I do quite frequently when I have odds and ends to be used up but for some reason my brain wasn't kicking into gear today.

The lentil salad sounds good too but I should have clarified that I only have red lentils so not so great as a salad base, although great for a mushy stew!

All suggestions have been great and really helped. Thanks, MN!

Aaah yes, red lentils will not work. Then go with risotto. Butternut risotto is one of my favourites and the cabbage will work brilliantly in it as well I think. Yum.