Sally gave me the idea of a nut roast for a vegetarian Christmas dinner, which then got me thinking of chestnuts for even more Christmassy goodness. After checking a few recipes on the net I came up with this.
The roast was wonderfully tasty, served with potatoes, roast parsnips and carrots, and onion gravy. I’d planned to have some brussells sprouts too but somebody else had the same idea and there was not one to be had at the shops, so I substituted grilled asparagus.
(sorry about crappy photo)
So I remember what to do next Christmas, this is what I used…
75g cashew nuts
75g walnuts
2 slices sourdough grain bread, cubed
2 onions, diced
2 packs of chestnuts
1 pack of feta cheese, grated
1 egg
black pepper and whatever herbs you have handy
and this is what I did…
Whizz up the nuts and bread in the food processor for a good couple of minutes. Add the chestnuts and whizz for another minute. Meanwhile fry the chopped onions and add the whole lot to a mixing bowl along with the grated feta and egg. Add black pepper and the herbs.
Mix everything together and turn into a loaf pan lined with baking paper, then fold the baking paper over the top of the roast to keep it moist. Bake for an hour at 200c along with the potatoes, carrots and parsnips.
(And next year, get to the shops early for the sprouts…)
