If you're in need of a veggie option for Christmas dinner this year, look no further than this delicious nut roast! The vegetarians in your life will absolutely love you for it.
I call it an Aussie nut roast because of the inclusion of Vegemite :) You could also include some macadamia nuts and bush spice in the mixture to Aussie-fy it even more!
Aussie Christmas Nut Roast
Inspired by Rebecca at Number 98
Serves 4-6
200g mixed nuts (use whatever you've got or your favourites- walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, peanuts and any seeds go well) – I used brazils and walnuts
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Tiny bit (1 tsp or so) olive oil
Half a large onion
400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained in a colander for 10 minutes
1 large egg
100g strong cheddar, grated finely
dash of dried herbs - I used oregano and tarragon
dash of allspice (for that Christmassy flavour!)
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp Vegemite (or Marmite)
Juice of 3 small clementines or 1 large orange
1 tsp grainy mustard
1 tsp mint jelly (optional)
Pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
Grease a large loaf tin and set aside.
Lightly toast the nuts, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, smoked paprika and olive oil, tossing everything to coat well, in a frying pan until just becoming fragrant. Remove and cool slightly, then whizz in a food processor until finely ground.
In a large bowl (or in the same food processor bowl to save on washing up, as I do!) mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Place in the prepared pan and leave overnight in the fridge to let the flavours deepen and the loaf firm up. If you're in a hurry you can prepare it the same day but allow at least an hour's resting time.
NB: to veganise this dish, you could use egg replacement (such as Orgran) or a flax egg for the egg and replace the cheese with a vegan equivalent like Cheezly or even just add some different nuts or some seeds to make up the volume.
Preheat oven to 180C. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour until firm and golden. Allow to cool slightly before "carving" :)
Serve with vegetable gravy, cranberry sauce and all your favourite Christmas vegetables. In the UK, Christmas isn't Christmas without sprouts, I've learned. The supermarkets are just packed with them this time of year - I love seeing the little branches of fresh sprouts that look like pseudo-Christmas trees in themselves. And weirdly, I used to hate sprouts before I moved here...now I love them!
This nut roast is so delicious....I was rather chuffed with myself! It is so moist and savoury - I'm sure even the carnivores wouldn't turn up their noses at it.
The nut roast mixture also works well as a filling for a vegetarian version of Beef Wellington too. Saute some large portobello mushrooms then stuff with the nut roast mixture and wrap in some pastry. This also makes a wonderful vegetarian Christmas meal.
Merry Christmas!