I’ve been tweaking my nut roast recipe as we approach the solstice this year. I love nut roast, and this recipe gives me everything I am looking for in a roast. It’s nice enough to be used on Christmas day, but easy enough to make more often too. It freezes well and makes the best sandwiches thinly sliced and served with cranberry sauce, mustard and lettuce in a barm. I always make a double batch and stash one in the freezer for a super quick roast on days when I don’t have the time or inclination to make a dinner from scratch.
For 2 x 2lb loaves (cuts into 8-10 slices each) you need:
- 1 packet of cooked whole chestnuts
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 cups stock
- 1/3 cup each of raw cashews and almonds
- 1/2 cup raw peanuts
- 1 onion, blitzed to a pulp
- 1 packet sage and onion stuffing mix
- 3 tbsp mixed dried herbs
- generous heaped dessert spoon of marmite
- 4 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
- Begin by cooking the lentils in the stock for about 15 mins until tender. I find this best in a lidded non stick pan. Once cooked, beat them until smooth and creamy with a wooden spoon – this will take about 2-3 mins.
- Whilst the lentils are cooking, toast the sunflower seeds in a pan.
- In a food processor or mini processor, roughly blitz the peanuts, cashews and almonds, I like a mix where some of them are quite finely chopped but you still have some nice bigger lumps of nuts for texture. Add the chestnuts and pulse a couple of times until they are broken into chunks. If you don’t have a processor you can roughly chop the nuts by hand instead.
- Dry fry the chopped nuts and onion in a pan for 4-5 mins until the liquid from the onion has reduced a little.
- Make the stuffing mix up according to the instructions in a large bowl. Add everything else to this bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Pack into two lined 2lb loaf tins and then bake in a 160-170 degree oven for 30-45 mins. Enjoy!