Stuck for a veggie/vegan main for christmas or the new year? Don’t worry – I got ya! I have to be honest, before I created this recipe I had never made a nut roast before so it was a new experience for me. However it is delicious and I’m actually freezing the rest of this one and saving it for Christmas day! Enjoy

Ingredients

• 60g red lentils, cooked according to instructions
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 125g stuffing
• 280ml boiling water
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 150g mushrooms, diced
• 4 dried apricots, diced
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1 tsp of: garlic powder, sage, oregano, paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 pieces of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 40g oats (1/2 cup)
• 60ml water (1/4 cup)
• 20g pumpkin seeds
• 41g Chika’s honey spiced nut mix
• 15g walnuts, chopped
• 30g cashews, chopped
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper or a liner. Cook lentils according to packet instructions. Mix stuffing with water and set aside
2. Pierce sweet potato and microwave for 5 minutes until soft
3. Combine lentils, stuffing and sweet potato in a bowl and set aside
4. In a pan, heat the olive oil and sautee the onions and garlic. After a few minutes add the mushrooms. Fry for about 5 minutes
5. Add the mushroom mixture to the stuffing mixture. Add the apricots, cranberries, garlic powder, sage, oregano, paprika, salt, rosemary and mix
6. Add the oats, water and remaining nuts and mix thoroughly
7. In the bottom of a loaf tin spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce. Add the nut roast mixture and press down so it is tightly packed
8. Place in the preheated oven. After 40 minutes cover with foil and bake for 20 more minutes
9. Remove for oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve!