Welcome to the Christmas recipe edition. Of course I had to make a plant based Christmas dinner. This is a pretty basic roast so of course on Christmas Day you can add all the extra special trimmings that you like. This is a great recipe for those of you who want to experiment with having a plant based Christmas. This roast dinner is pretty easy to make, does not need to many ingredients (for a roast) and may help you to consider the different ways that you can cook without the use of meat and dairy. I am lucky to be using my veg from my local veg box delivery Good Earth Growers. It is seasonal veg, therefore, each week I may receive a different variety of vegetables and substitutes may need to be made. There is no missing out this year! With roast dinners, I think one of the most difficult things is timing and planning. Always consider the packet items and how long they take to prepare and cook, and then consider the different types of veg you want to use, how you are going to cook them and what is going to take the longest. I find that roast potatoes tend to take the longest in a plant based roast (as opposed to the meat in a traditional Christmas dinner). With that said, let's get started with our simple but super tasty plant based roast dinner.
Cooking Time: 1 Hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 Head (in this recipe I had to substitute it for broccoli but this was just as tasty)
Cabbage - 1 Medium
Onion - 1 Large
Squash - 1 Butternut or Any Other Variety (sweet potato also will work)
Carrots - Bunch (8-9)
Potatoes - 6-8 Medium
Raw Beetroot - 4 Small/Medium
Nut Roast - I recommend the one pictured 'Artisan Country Vegetable and Cashew'
Cashews - 1/2 Cup
Oat Milk -1/4 Cup
Butter - Heaped Tablespoon
Stuffing - 1 Pack (I personally love the supermarket own sage and onion variety)
Gravy
Nutritional Yeast - 2 Tablespoons
Rosemary - 1 Fresh Bunch or 1 Dried Teaspoon
Thyme - 1 Fresh Bunch or 1 Dried Teaspoon
Garlic Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Olive Oil to Cook With
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan) or equivalent. First chop the potatoes. I personally scrub them and leave the skins on but you are welcome to peel them. The smaller you chop them the less time they will take to cook. Place them on a baking tray and cover the potatoes with a splash of oil and about half a teaspoon each of the rosemary, thyme and garlic powder. Although, you can add more if you wish. Use your hands to coat each potato. If you are using beetroot, I recommend to also scrub these, coat in oil and place on the baking tray with the skins still on, we will remove these later. Place the baking tray in the oven and set the timer for twenty minutes.
2) Whilst that is cooking, prepare the carrots. Again, to reduce waste and include more fibre, I scrub the carrots and cut off the top and bottom, leaving the skins on. The can also create a nice crispy skin and lock in moisture. However, you are welcome to peel them if you prefer. Place the carrots on another baking tray and cover with the remaining thyme, rosemary and garlic powder. Do the same as before, coating the carrots in a splash of oil. Once ready, place the second baking tray in the oven with the potatoes. (In the pictures I used beetroot from a previous dish, therefore I put it in with the carrots simply to heat through).
3) Following this, begin to prepare the nut roast. You should do this according to package instructions. Mine took 35-40 minutes therefore this was the perfect moment to get it prepared, however yours may take less or more time and you should adjust accordingly. In this case, I had to mix the packet with cold water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
4) Afterwards, begin to prepare the rest of the vegetables that don't take as long to cook. Roughly chop the squash and place in a pan of water on the hob over medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer to cook.
5) The nut roast is now ready to be placed in the tray and put in the oven to cook.
6) Meanwhile, slice the cabbage and onion into thin pieces. Place in another pan, covered with water on the hob over medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer to cook.
7) Lastly, prepare the cauliflower/broccoli. Cut each small head off one by one, placing in an additional pan, covering with water and placing on the hob over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and them simmer to cook.
8) Around this time if not before the twenty minute timer should have gone off for the potatoes. Open the oven and carefully remove the two baking trays one by one. Use a spoon to turn all the vegetables to ensure they are cooked evenly and do not stick to the tray. Place back in the oven when done and set the timer for an additional twenty minutes.
9) At this point prepare the stuffing according to package instructions. Mine took about 25 minutes in the oven. I rolled it up into balls and placed on the edge of the baking tray with the carrots.
10) Now every part of the meal should be cooking. You can use this time to prepare the cashew cheese sauce for the cauliflower cheese. Place 1/2 cup of cashews in a bowl, add 1/4 cup of milk (or just enough so that the cashews are sitting in the milk) and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Blend together using a hand blender (or this also works in an ordinary blender). The mixture should be thick, creamy and smooth in consistency. Add more cashews or milk if needed to achieve the desired effect. Taste and add more nutritional yeast for flavour if necessary. If the broccoli is cooked, you can drain the water and add the cheese sauce and mix together. Place back on the hob over a very low setting to slowly heat the sauce.
11) At this point, drain the squash and add the butter to the pan. Use the hand blender to blend the squash into a mash.
12) A this point the second twenty minute timer should have gone off for the potatoes, carrots and beetroot. Check to see if they are soft and ready to be eaten. If they are, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. The nut roast and stuffing will need approximately 5-10 more minutes. Re-set the timer.
13) You can now prepare the gravy. I like to use the cabbage water for extra flavour and to capture lost nutrients. Drain the water into a heatproof jug and the leftover water into the sink. Add the granules according to package instructions and stir, allow to cool. I like to add some of the gravy back into the pan to coat the cabbage and onion, an easy way to give it more flavour.
14) By this time the nut roast and stuffing should be done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. At this point the beetroot should be cool enough to peel the skin off. Use gloves if necessary as the colour will stain your fingers. Serve in dishes to allow everyone to help themselves. Add any condiments you like, such as mint or cranberry sauce. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy your delicious, well deserved, plant based meal!
Merry Christmas! Tag me in pictures of your creations on instagram! @_thewellnessspace :)
Love Always,
Lottie
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