Mushroom Nut Roast

A tasty Christmas Roast teeming with juicy nuts pulses, porcini mushrooms and other surprises.

Ingredients

• 230g mixed nuts, chopped
• 110g red lentils
• l large carrot
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 large zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 100g mushrooms
• 25g porcini mushrooms
• 4 tbsp margarine
• 2 tbsp mild curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp chopped parsley
• 10g tsp chopped dried apricots
• 2 tbsp flour, sieved
• 120 mls water
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Directions

1. Gently boil the lentils for around 20 mins. Soak the porcini mushrooms in a jug, just covered with boiled water at the same time. About halfway through the lentils’ cooking time, pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees celsius/Gas Mark 5.

2. Meanwhile, cut the eggplant in half, then chop into small chunks, along with the zucchini.

3. Chop the carrot, celery, onion and mushrooms into small chunks then blend or food process until they are quite finely chopped.

4. Melt the margarine in a wok and fry the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring in the curry powder.

5. Drain the porcini  mushrooms and chop with scissors. Add them to a bowl along with the mixed nuts, cooked lentils, tomato sauce, Worcesteshire sauce, parsley, apricots, flour and water. Mix well.

6. Add in the mixture from the wok and combine well together. Grease a large bread tin with margarine or oil spray and line with greaseproof paper.

7. Press 4 tbsp of the mixture into the tin. Spoon in the rest of the mixture and smooth over. Place in the tin and bake for about an hour or just firm, covering the top with a piece of greaseproof paper if it starts to catch.

8. Sprinkle with pinenuts to finish, then holding the sides of the grease-proof paper, gently pull the loaf out onto a plate or serving tray. Trim down the paper along the edges, allow to cool for 15 mins, then cut into slices and serve.