2.6K Views 2 years ago

Festive Nut Roast
[Vegan]

CC By: Carol Clayton

Author Bio

In her debut e-cookbook, Carol Clayton shares tested to perfection vegan recipes that will satisfy... Read More

Order with Instacart Download Our App

Discover more recipes with these ingredients

Festive Nut Roast [Vegan]

Dairy Free

Vegan

Nut roast is meatloaf’s vegan cousin. The fun one that you always invited to your birthday party. It works very well as a turkey alternative being umami-loaded, rich, and very satisfying. Served with all the trimmings it holds its own as a holiday centerpiece. This is a great dish to make ahead of time as the flavors intensify overnight and the texture becomes firmer. I love serving it on a platter decorated with fresh rosemary sprigs and a scattering of cranberries which always gets a few ooh-ahhs.

2 tablespoons (13 g) of ground flax seed meal whisked with 1/3 cup (79 ml) of water
2 cups (150 g) of toasted breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons (42 g) of vegan butter
1 small yellow onion (1 cup), finely diced
1 small leek (1 cup), green top removed and sliced into thin half moons
2 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot (1 cup) peeled and shredded
1 cup (90 g) of finely chopped cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup (245 g) of canned pumpkin puree
1 cup (200 g) of canned brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 cup (150 g) of finely chopped vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
1 cup (150 g) of finely chopped salted mixed nuts
3/4 cup (98 g) of finely chopped dried sweetened cranberries (craisins)
1/4 cup (25 g) of oat flour
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

Order with Instacart Download Our App

How to Prepare Festive Nut Roast [Vegan]

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a standard-size bread loaf pan 8 1/2 x 4 x 2 1/2 (22 x 11 x 6 cm) loaf pan and line the inside with a sheet of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges, creating handles.
Then, make the flax egg. Pour the water into a small bowl and energetically whisk in the flax seed meal until incorporated. Set aside to thicken for 15 minutes.
Toast the breadcrumbs. Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into the 350°F (177°C) oven. Toast for 10-12 minutes, until fragrant and crispy, stirring halfway through.
Sauté the aromatics. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Slide in the onions and leek and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes until very soft but not brown, lowering the heat to medium, if needed.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant 1 minute more.
Sauté the veggies and herbs. Scoop in the carrots, mushrooms, fresh rosemary, and sage into the pan. Sprinkle with the other teaspoon of salt, black pepper, thyme, and cayenne. Cook until the carrots are tender, and the mixture begins to look dry and stick to the bottom of the pan, 5-7 minutes. Slide the pan off the heat.
Add the remaining ingredients. Scoop in the pumpkin and mix it all together. Then pile in the breadcrumbs, lentils, chestnuts, mixed nuts, cranberries, and oat flour. Mix until well combined. Add the flax egg, apple cider vinegar and mix again. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking.
Press the dough into the bread pan. Spoon the dough into the pan pressing firmly as you go. See that there are no air pockets and that it is packed tight. The dough will fill the loaf pan almost up to the top.
Bake the loaf. Bake for 60 minutes. The top will look brown and dry. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before using the parchment paper handles to lift the loaf from the pan. Flip it over onto a serving plate. Enjoy with White Wine and Mushroom Gravy.

Notes

Using a food processor will save you from a chopping marathon. Start by using the “S” blade to pulse the breadcrumbs. Transfer them to a baking sheet. Then use the pulse setting to chop your mushrooms until finely diced. Transfer them to a dish. Pile the chestnuts, mixed nuts, and cranberries into the work bowl and pulse until you’ve achieved a coarse crumb. Finish by switching to the shredding blade and shred your carrot.