Vegan Roast with Gravy
Ingredients
- 160 ml water
- 70 g white quinoa
- 1 extra-large courgette (350 g), halved lengthways
- 1 small leek (200 g), white part only
- 1.9 kg whole butternut pumpkin, halved lengthways
- 1 small onion (80 g), chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 1⁄2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tbs ground linseed (flax meal)
- 2 tbs hot water, extra
- 35 g dried cranberries
- 35 g hazelnut flour
For the vegan gravy
- 50 g vegan margarine spread
- 1 small onion (80 g), chopped finely
- 2 tbs plain (all-purpose) or gluten-free flour
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbs Tamari
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2.Bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa; reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender; cool.
3. Scoop flesh from courgette using a strong spoon, leaving a 5-mm border. Reserve courgette flesh. Trim leek, if needed, to fit inside courgette.
4. Scoop seeds from pumpkin, discard. Scoop flesh from pumpkin, making a cavity large enough to fit courgette. Reserve pumpkin flesh. Trim courgette, if needed, to fit inside pumpkin.
5. Prick the insides of courgette and pumpkin with a fork. Process reserved courgette and pumpkin flesh with onion and garlic until finely chopped.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add processed vegetables, thyme and quinoa; season. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender. Cool.
7. Meanwhile, to make stuffing, combine ground linseed and the extra hot water in a medium bowl; stand for 10 minutes. Combine linseed mixture with quinoa mixture, cranberries and hazelnut flour. Press some of the stuffing into courgette cavities. Press leek into one half of the courgette; cover with the other half. Press remaining stuffing into pumpkin cavities. Place stuffed courgette in one pumpkin half; cover with the other half. Secure pumpkin together with kitchen string. Brush with remaining oil; season. Wrap in foil; place in a roasting pan. Roast for 2 hours or until tender. Stand wrapped for 30 minutes.
Vegan gravy
1. Heat margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Add flour; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Gradually stir in stock and Tamari. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until thickened. Season to taste.
4. Remove foil from roast; slice thickly. Serve with gravy.