For the 'Roast It' theme this week I took my ingredients from the benevolent hands of Mother Earth, plus a few eggs from a (hopefully happy) free-range chicken, and a splash of organic milk from a (hopefully happy) goat. It's a pity you can't taste this one because it's the nicest combination of flavours and textures I've ever created in a veggie roast. I would normally use a variety of chopped nuts as the main texture, but today I decided that hemp seeds would be the dominant texture. And to compliment these seeds I opted for ground almonds, the tiny amaranth grain, smooth chickpeas and green lentils, along with a thoughtful selection of vegetables, herbs and spices. Hemp seeds are exceptionally nutritious, containing all 9 essential amino acids, high in dietary fiber, rich in beneficial fatty acids, protein, vitamin E and other minerals, so they're great to use wherever you can in cooking and baking.
In the centre of the plate you will see there a Yorkshire pudding - a must have with your Sunday dinner, especially if you come from the Yorkshire Dales, England, as I do! No matter what the roast, you gotta get your Yorkshires with it :-) And of course they'd be a little dry without gravy to fill the hole, so here I have made leek and onion gravy. Since I discovered several years ago that stock cubes and gravy granules contain harmful artificial ingredients I always make my own, which is very easy, and you can use different vegetables as the base flavour depending on what you are serving it with. Leeks I find are a lovely compliment to the nutty flavours of the roast, and the subtle sweetness of the roast swede - which I prepared instead of roast potatoes as they are way too filling with the hemp roast and the Yorkshires!
What you will need:
For the hemp roast:
1 small sweet potato (approx 150g)
1 large red onion
5 cloves garlic
50g green lentils
50g amaranth
1 cup cooked chickpeas
50g ground almonds
75g hemp seeds
25g fine wholewheat flour
2 large free-range eggs
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp nutmeg
For the Yorkshire puddings:
50g fine wholewheat flour
1 large free-range egg
1/4 pint milk & water
For the gravy:
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 leek
2 tblsp fine wholewheat flour
1 tblsp tomato puree
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tblsp red wine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp honey
1 pint water
Side vegetables:
Swede
Broccoli
Sprouts
Carrots
Method:
Peel and roughly chop the sweet potato, onion and garlic. Mince in a food processor or manual veg chopper. Put into a large bowl.
Put the green lentils and amaranth into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes until softened. Drain using a sieve (not a colander or you'll lose the tiny amaranth through the holes!)
Mash the chickpeas and add to the bowl of minced veg, along with the lentils and amaranth.
Add the hemp seeds and ground almonds to the bowl.
Finally add the flour and eggs to the bowl, along with the wholegrain mustard, pepper, rosemary, thyme, sage, cumin and nutmeg, and mix thoroughly.
I would normally use a loaf tin for nut roasts, but as I've got my creative cap on I decided to make a different shape. It'd be easier to use a ring cake tin, but since I don't have one I put a bowl in the centre of a lined cake tin. Job's a good 'un :-)
Spoon the mixture into the tin and press down firmly. Pop into a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius and roast for about 45 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Whilst the roast is doing you can prepare the Yorkshire pudding mixture. Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the egg into the well and beat using an electric whisk, gradually adding the milk & egg mixture and incorporating the flour a little at a time. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
Put half a teaspoon of coconut oil in 5 or 6 muffin moulds and pop in the oven for 5 minutes to get really hot. Then pour the Yorkshire pudding mixure into the moulds (about half way) and put back into the oven at 190-200 degrees Celcius for about 25 minutes until risen, golden and crunchy.
To make the gravy, peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and leek. Rinse the leek in a colander (leeks usually have dirt between the layers, and it's easiest to wash after slicing up). Mince all in a food processor/manual veg chopper.
Saute the veg with a teaspoon of coconut oil in a saucepan until softened.
Remove from the heat and add the flour, tomato puree, wholegrain mustard, red wine, salt, pepper and honey and mix thoroughly. Next add the water and return to a moderate heat, stirring frequently until thickened (about 10 minutes).
Prepare the vegetables - I have used swede, broccoli, sprouts and carrots. Cut a chunk of swede, peel and chop into bite-size cubes. Put in a roasting tray with a tablespoon of coconut oil and roast at 200 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes. Steam the broccoli, sprouts and carrots (which I peeled and cut into batons - see below) for about 20-30 minutes.
Arrange everything on your plate, and serve with the gravy in a little jug.
As usual, much appreciation to @englishtchrivy for hosting this challenge and giving us all a good reason to get creative!
Many thanks also to this week's judge @opheliafu, and to the sponsors @smooth, @sirwinchester and @knozaki2015, and not forgetting everyone else involved in this challenge. Thank you all for giving this housewife/mama something exciting to get stuck into each week!!!
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