Vegetarian Christmas Nut Roast

Here's the Christmas Nut Roast I posted the recipe for on December 14. Mum made it as always and it was fab.

Fed six of us - five of them were meat-eaters and were completely happy not having turkey on Christmas Day.

Mum just popped slices of mushroom on the top for decoration.

We had carrots, roast potatoes and red cabbage with it. Everything was lovely.


Here are a few more recipes for nut roasts that I've found. Not tried them but they look nice.

Vegetarian Nut Roast

Australian Nut Roast

Basic Vegan Nut Roast

Cashew Nut Roast

Let me know if they're any good x

Vegetarian goat's cheese, tomato and rosemary sables recipe ideal for Christmas parties

If you're looking for something veggie to wet people's appetite at Christmas parties this year, give this recipe a go.

Me and my friend, Kate, made them for a party last night and they were fab. So cute and tasty.

I'm a rubbish cook so if i managed it, anyone can. They were quite easy to make but looked really fancy.

Kate found the recipe on the Channel4 website. It is:


Makes 15

Ingredients
100g flour
1 tbsp each of rosemary and flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
75g butter
1 egg yolk
25g Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 x cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp Maldon salt
1 tbsp thyme
150g goat's cheese
50g walnuts, toasted and ground

1. For the sable: Blend the flour and herbs together to incorporate the colour. Add the softened butter, Parmesan and egg yolk to bring the mixture together. Allow to rest and then roll into tubes. Allow to reset for a further 30 minutes then slice into 3 to 4mm round slices and rest again for 20-30 minutes.

2. Bake in the oven at 160ºC for about 20 minutes and allow to cool.

3. Peel the goat's cheese removing all the rind and blend to a smooth paste. Roll into tubes slightly smaller than the sables and allow to set. Roll in the toasted walnuts and slice into 1.5cm rounds.

4. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and dust with Maldon salt and thyme. Leave in a barely warm oven to dry slowly. Minimum 3 hours.

5. Stack the sables, cheese and tomatoes in that order and serve.

TIP: To roll the cheese into tubes place the mixture into piping bags, pipe into long thick rolls onto cling film, then shape by rolling the cling film tightly and twisting the ends (the mixture needs to be the same diameter as the sables), then allow to set.

What to cook a vegetarian at Christmas - Cashew Nut Roast with Mushroom and Sherry sauce

I promised to post the recipe for the Cashew Nut Roast with Mushroom and Sherry sauce.

Every year when mum (below) makes it, we look at it and think - this isn't going to fill us.

Me (right) and my sister Lorna


However, every year - it does. It's really filling so you'll only need a few veggies to go round it.

We put the roast in the middle of the plate and surround it with colourful veg.

Pop a sprig of holly on top and voila - vegetarian Christmas.

The cook - mum (Barbara Kelly)

You've got to make the mushroom sauce to go with it though - it really goes well together.

Even meat eaters (who often don't think vegetarian food is substantial enough) enjoy this roast.


I recomment colourful veg but not parsnips as they're already in the nut roast.

Maybe carrots, sprouts and celeriac.




The recipe is:

Serves 6-8

1 tbl spoon of oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
8oz (225g) cashew nuts
4 oz (110g) fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
3 medium parsnips, cooked and mashed with a little butter
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or 0.5 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 0.5 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon yeast extract
0.25 pint (150ml) hot water or stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
1oz (25g) butter
8oz (225g) mushrooms, chopped
butter for greasing tin


Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350F (180C).Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Grind the cashew nuts in a nut mill, blender or mincer, then mix with the breadcrumbs. Beat the egg and add it to the dry ingredients, then mix in the mashed parsnips and herbs. Add the fried onion, being sure to scrape the pan so that all the juices go in as nut roasts can sometimes be a little dry.

Dissolve the yeast extract in hot water or stock and add to the other ingredients. Season well.Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the chopped mushrooms until soft. Grease a 2lb(900g) loaf tin with butter, then press in half the nut mixture. Add the sautéed chopped mushrooms and then the remainder of the nut mixture.Cover with foil and bake for one hour. When cooked, remove the loaf from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before turning it out. Serve hot or cold.

Mushroom and sherry sauce (makes 1.25 pints/550ml sauce)
1 oz (25g) butter
8 oz (225g) mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 tablespoon sherry
4 teaspoons flour
1 pint (570ml) strong vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

A Vegetarian Christmas

MY FAMILY are wonderful - they always have a vegetarian Christmas for me. They're big meat and fish eaters but rather than leaving me with a plate of veg, mum creates a Cashew Nut Roast with Mushroom Sherry sauce and everyone tucks in.

I'm at my desk in work at the moment so I can't post the recipe but I will when I get home.

Apparently, according to this week's article on Medical News Today, a vegetarian Christmas can be the healthier option.

The article said: "With Christmas just around the corner and preparations in full swing, you might be starting to think of meal planning for the big day.

"It can often be challenging for vegetarians and those catering for them to get a meat-free Christmas dinner just right....read the rest of the article here."

Anyway - better get back to work but I'll try to pop that recipe on over the weekend.

x