Nut Roast Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C/ gas 4 and line the base and sides of a 1.5 litre loaf tin with parchment paper.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 15g butter in a large frying pan and cook 1 finely chopped large onion and 2 finely chopped celery sticks for about 5 mins until beginning to soften.
• Stir in 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 200g finely chopped chestnut mushrooms and cook for a further 10 mins.
• Stir in 1 finely diced red pepper and 1 grated carrot and cook for about 3 mins then add 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp smoked paprika and cook for just a minute.
• Add 100g red lentils and 2 tbsp tomato purée and cook for about 1 min, then add 300ml vegetable stock and simmer over a very gentle heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is fairly dry. This should take about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Finally, stir in 100g fresh breadcrumbs, 150g chopped mixed nuts, 3 lightly beaten large eggs, 100g grated mature cheddar, a handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and a pinch of salt and some ground black pepper.
• Stir to mix well then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down the surface.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20 mins until firm when pressed gently.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil very gently then add 2 finely sliced garlic cloves and 1 rosemary sprig and heat without colouring.
• Pour in 400ml passata and add a pinch of salt and some ground black pepper. Simmer gently for just 15 mins.
• Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for about 10 mins then turn out onto a serving board or plate. Remove the baking paper and cut into slices and serve with a little of the tomato sauce.
• To make a vegan nut roast, use an extra tbsp of oil in place of butter, no cheese and 3 tbsp egg replacer. Bake your nut roast for 1 hour. The loaf will still be soft in the middle after cooking.
• It can be cooked in advance and then chilled, sliced and reheated to make it easier to serve.

Steps:

• Cook the pearl barley with the stock cube according to pack instructions. Reserve 4 tbsp of the cooking stock, then drain the grains well.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then add the parsnips, and cook until really soft. Drain well, tip back into the pan to steam dry for a few minutes, then roughly mash. Mix the ground linseeds with the reserved stock water, and leave to go gluey.
• Put 2 tbsp of the oil in your largest frying pan with the onions and garlic. Fry gently until soft and golden, then stir in the mushrooms, rosemary and sage. Fry the mushrooms until they're golden too, and any liquid that comes out has evaporated. Scrape into a big mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
• Grease a 22-24cm savarin or ring tin generously with oil. If it's not a non-stick tin, line it with thin strips of overlapping baking parchment.
• Add the mashed parsnip, cooked pearl barley, gluey seed mix, grated vegan hard cheese (if using), chopped parsley and whole hazelnuts to the fried mushroom mixture. Season generously with salt, then mix everything together really well.
• Spoon the filling into the tin, and press down firmly to fill the tin and flatten the top. Bake straight away or keep in the fridge for up to 24 hrs before baking.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cover the tin with foil. Bake for 45 mins, until a skewer poked into the centre of the mixture comes out piping hot.
• Use a small palette knife or cutlery knife to release the filling all the way around, then sit a serving plate on top and flip over. Carefully lift off the tin, and top the wreath with some parsnip crisps if using and whole pumpkin seeds to serve - plus some extra rosemary sprigs if you like. Slice into wedges and enjoy.

Steps:

• Grease and line a large loaf tin and set aside. If you're cooking the roast straight away (see step 4), preheat the oven to 180C (fan).
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, toast the nuts, seeds and spices, tossing everything to coat well. Be very careful and do not let it burn. Toast for a few minutes, or until the mixture is fragrant and starting to turn golden, then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
• Add the cooled nuts and spices to the bowl of a food processor. Add all other ingredients. Blitz until thoroughly combined, or combined to your liking (it can be nice if left a little chunky). You might need to stop and scrape it down a few times. If it's too wet, add more breadcrumbs. If it's too dry, add a little water, reserved tomato juice or even a dash of red wine if you've got some handy!
• Place in the prepared pan and ideally leave for a few hours (or overnight is even better) in the fridge to let the flavours deepen and the loaf firm up. If you're in a hurry you can cook it straight away, but ideally give it at least an hour's resting time.
• Preheat oven to 180C (fan). When ready, cook the roast for 45 minutes to an hour until firm and golden. Allow to cool slightly before carving then serve with all your favourite roast vegetables.