Scottish Vegan Nut Roast Recipe

Now when you say that your Vegan a lot of people think that all you eat is Soya, Linda McCartney Sausages and Nut Roasts. Well it’s true we do eat a lot of these as well as other amazing products that are now available in our supermarkets. Tesco’s has just started a new Freefrom range that is amazing, be it a little hard to find.

But one thing I always seem to fall back on is making my own homemade nut roast, and why? Because at the end of the day its quick and easy to make and if I have a little left over it can go into my lunch box or spread onto bread to make a healthy alternative.

Now I’ve used Oats in this recipe as it seems that every artisan shop carries a local brand and it’s all about supporting local suppliers. You could take the scottish theme to the next level and add a little whisky to the recipe or even make a whisky gravy if you have a family recipe.

Ingredients:

50g pumpkin or sunflower seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large carrot
150g cooked lentils
90g dry whole wheat bread crumbs
110 ml vegetable stock, as needed
50g of uncooked oatmeal
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350º/180c/4GM. Spray a loaf pan or 8x8 square baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside, an 8x8 pan makes a crisper firmer loaf. I tend to put some grease proof paper in the bottom of the pan to help when removing, but this is up to you.

Grind the pumpkin seeds into a coarse meal using a food processor or chop finely. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Cook the oatmeal with water as directed and add to the ground pumpkin seeds.

Chop the vegetables into a small dice making sure that they are all about the same size. Then cook them in a pan with the vegetable oil until soft. 

Add the cooked vegetables to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much stock as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. 

Press mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through. If you are using a shallow pan the cooking time may be quicker so keep an eye on it.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or cooling rack if you are not eating straight away.

 Best served with potatoes, vegetables, and a vegetable gravy, or with some nice chunky chips and peas.

Cold leftover leftovers can be sliced and make a great sandwich filling.