You’ll Need:

• 1 small pumpkin (or butternut squash)
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves
• 1 red onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 285 g arborio (risotto) rice
• 60 ml white wine
• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Sea salt & Black pepper
• 25 g Diary-free Mozzarella (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 175C. “Butcher” your pumpkin (or butternut squash) and cut into small cubes. Once in small chunks, add them to a baking sheet with a splash of olive oil and roast for about 45 minutes until fully cooked and slightly browned.
2. Finely chop the celery and onions and add them to a large saucepan over medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Allow these to soften but not brown.
3. In a separate pot, add the vegetable stock with a few large sage leaves and bring to a simmer.
4. Add the arborio rice to the hot pan with celery and onions and allow it to cook dry for 1-2 minutes. Then, add a bit of white wine and stir until it is absorbed into the rice. Slowly add one ladle-full of stock into the pan at a time and stir occasionally until fully absorbed before adding more. This should take 20-30 minutes.
5. While the risotto is cooking, check on the pumpkin (or butternut squash) in the oven. Check to see that it is fully cooked (poke with a fork – when tender it’s fully cooked) When it is, toss it into the pan with the risotto along with generous amounts of salt and black pepper.
6. At the last minute, squeeze in a little lemon juice and throw in a few tablespoons of finely-chopped sage leaves. Here you can add in your diary free mozzarella depending on your preference. Let the risotto rest for 2-5 minutes before eating, then enjoy!

Serves: 5

Cooking time: approx 1 hour

Meatless meatloaf (nut-roast)

You’ll need:

• 1 sweet potato
• 1 onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 carrot
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 can cannellini beans or other white beans (drained & rinsed)
• 400 g extra-firm tofu or an additional can of white beans
• 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce 
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp spicy brown or whole-grain prepared mustard
• 15 g fresh parsley chopped
• 1/2 tbsp rubbed sage
• 1 tbsp thyme leaf
• 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary (chopped finely)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 75 g chopped walnuts optional
• 65 g quinoa flakes or quick oatmeal

Method:

1. Wash a medium sweet potato, pierce it several times with a fork, wrap in tin foil and bake for 20-30 minutes (until tender when poked with a fork) Allow to cool, then peel and set aside.
2. Dice the onion, celery, and carrot. You can do this with a knife or by using a food processor.
3. Heat a large, non-stick pan. Add the diced vegetables, including garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until they become tender, about 6-10 minutes. Add water by the teaspoon if necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking or becoming dry. Once they’re softened, add the drained beans and mash them lightly with a slotted spoon or spatula.
4. Place the peeled sweet potato into the food processor along with the tofu, soy sauce, and all seasonings, including nutritional yeast. Process until fairly smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the quinoa flakes and the cooked vegetables. Stir well.
5. Preheat oven to 180C. If you have a silicone baking mat (recommended) place it on a baking sheet. Otherwise line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Spoon the tofu mixture onto the prepared baking surface, using dampened hands to shape it into an oval loaf about 6 cm in height. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is evenly browned. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and cook for 20 more minutes. Check to make sure that the center is firm; if not, give it a little extra time. (You can also remove the foil and cook for 5 more minutes for a crunchier crust.) Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
6. Serving suggestion: Great on it’s own or with wild mushroom gravy, as seen below.

Serves: 8

Cooking time: approx 1 hour 30 mins

Wild Mushroom Gravy

You’ll Need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 75 g chopped onion
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 230 g oyster mushrooms (sliced)
• 60 ml dry sherry
• 700 ml mushroom stock or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp non diary butter
• Black pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 1 minute. Add thyme, salt, and mushrooms and saute about 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned. Add sherry and cook until liquid evaporates. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil and cook until gravy is reduced to about 500 mls (about 14 minutes).
2. Whisk together flour and water in a small bowl. Add mixture to pan then return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat then, stir in butter 1 tbsp at a time and pepper to taste.

Vegan Pecan Pie

You’ll Need:

• 150 g flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp shortening, chilled
• 1.5 tbsp vegan butter, chilled
• 3-5 tbsp ice water
• 225 g pecan halves
• ½ tbsp vegan butter
• pinch of salt
• 10 crackers, crumbled
• 120 ml water
• 2½ tbsp vegan butter
• 200 g sugar
• 50 ml maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp applesauce or pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp corn or tapioca starch

 Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour and salt.
3. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening and butter until pea-sized.
4. Sprinkle with 3 tbsp ice water and stir until dough comes together in a ball, adding more ice water as needed. (Use as little water as possible and handle the dough as little as possible, so as not to end up with a tough crust!)
5. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface.
6. Transfer to 9″ pie plate; trim and shape edges as desired.
7. Prick crust with a fork and fill with pie weights; bake for 5 minutes.
8. Remove pie plate from oven and set aside.
9. Reduce oven temperature to 165°C.
10. In a heavy pan on medium heat, melt butter.
11. Add pecan halves and salt and toss, stirring occasionally until pecans are toasted. Take care not to burn them!
12. Turn off heat and set aside.
13. In a small bowl, stir together crackers and water.
14. Let water absorb, then put mixture in a food processor with vegan butter, sugar, syrup, vanilla, applesauce or pumpkin puree, and starch.
15. Process until mixture is relatively smooth.
16. Pour mixture into saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
17. When mixture boils, lower heat slightly and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to make sure nothing burns to the bottom of the pan.
18. Fold in pecans.
19. Remove pie weights from crust, then pour filling into crust.
20. Bake for 50 minutes.
21. Cool fully, a couple of hours, before slicing and serving.