Rich and complex. Just like the real thing, but without the cruelty.
Ingredients
150g cashews
65g walnuts
Tbsp olive oil
150g chopped chestnut mushrooms
2 large shallots
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
50g dairy-free butter
50g flavourless coconut oil
2 tbsps white miso
2 tbsps tahini
2 tbsps nooch
2 tbsps brandy (important!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Soak the nuts in boiling water for 30 minutes.
Gently sauté the chopped shallots and mushrooms with a teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook till the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool a little.
Blend everything till supersmooth.
Season and taste.
Melt a little butter – add a touch of salt and a sprinkling of nooch. Pour into the base of the mould and allow to set in the freezer. Put the pâté into the moulds, tamping it down to get rid of any air pockets. Freeze till solid.
To serve, warm the outside a little to release the shaped pâté, using a knife to gently ease it out. Plate up and let it come to room temperature.
Gorgeous with gherkins or a subtle chutney and on sourdough toast or crispbreads.
It’s easy to find gravy mixes that are vegan (even the beef-flavoured ones don’t often have any meat in them!). However, they do have a lot of unnecessary additives and often contain palm oil. Make your own instead.
Ingredients
150ml red wine
2 tsps vegan stock powder
500ml water
1 tsp each of garlic and onion powder
2 tsps mixed herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp Natex or Marmite
2 tbsps arrowroot or other thickener (cornflour, tapioca starch etc)
1 tsp brown (muscovado) sugar
Pepper to taste
Optional flavourings: balsamic vinegar, mustard, horseradish, redcurrant jelly or any dark fruit jam
Method
Boil the red wine till it loses some of its rawness.
Turn down to a simmer.
Add stock powder and water.
Add the herbs, soy sauce, sugar, Natex and garlic/onion powder.
Slake two tablespoons of arrowroot with a little water and stir into the gravy. Stir till it thickens. If it’s too runny, mix a little more thickener.
Now taste and decide what you need. Jelly or jam for more sweetness and a glossy finish, balsamic for a touch of acidity. If you need it saltier, don’t add pure salt – go for more stock powder, soy sauce or Natex instead to give depth.
This one serves three to four people, so double the quantities for a feast. The stuffing recipe will be more than enough for this. You can make the roast the day before and slice and fry on the day for speed and a more relaxed Christmas Day!
Ingredients
150g vital wheat gluten
30g ground almonds
2tbsps nooch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery salt or seeds
1 tsp sage
1 tsp paprika
160ml hot water
2 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp white miso
Stock cube or paste
Cooking broth:
700ml stock
1 tbsp barley miso
2 bay leaves
A few sage leaves
Thyme
Method
Blend first 10 ingredients in a food processor or large bowl until smooth.
Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Mix well and then knead for a few minutes till it’s firm and getting stringy. You can test for seasoning at this stage. Add soy sauce or stock powder rather than straight salt.
Press and pat out into a rectangle and lay the stuffing down the centre. Bring the edges together to create a roll, sealing it by squishing the dough together. You might need to wet the edges a bit.
Tie with twine.
Fry on all sides till brown.
Wrap tightly in cheesecloth and fasten each end. Put into a casserole dish with a lid and place the cooking stock ingredients around it. Pour over the stock.
Cover and bake at 180oC for two hours, turning every 30 minutes
