Curried Lentils with Butternut Squash

1 cup dry lentils, 1 small butternut squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon grated gingerroot, 1 teaspoon chili powder, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional) Directions: (1) Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Pour the lentils into a deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, add raw chunks of the squash (leave the skin on for extra nutrients and texture to the dish) (2) Remove the pot from the heat, drain, and set aside. With tongs pull out the chunks of squash and mash them roughly, skins and all, with a fork, ricer or potato masher. (3) Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl mix the drained lentils and mashed squash with olive oil and all the spices (including the salt and pepper). Spoon the mixture onto the baking dish. At this point you can cover the dish and refrigerate it for a few hours or even overnight. (3) Bake until piping hot, which will be about 20 minutes if cooking it right after mixing or 25 - 30 minutes if it has been refrigerated. Serve warm, garnished with shredded coconut if you like and serving with greens such as blanched chard or sautéed kale.