What is Nut Roast?

If you’re unaware, a nut roast is a hearty loaf made from nuts, vegetables, and whatever other tasty ingredients you like, mixed together and baked to golden perfection. It’s a British recipe, and here in the UK, it’s been a vegetarian favourite for decades, and sometimes it’s probably unfairly considered to be a bit old-fashioned. But I say it’s time to bring back this old favourite!

It’s really hard to beat a nut roast that contains so many wonderful textures and flavours – a soft crunch from the nuts, aromatic herbs, plenty of vegetables, and little pops of festive sweetness from the dried cranberries. It’s wonderful.

What Makes this Nut Roast so Easy to Make?

Many nut roast recipes call for a long list of (in my opinion) unnecessary steps: pre-cooking vegetables, boiling lentils, blitzing up breadcrumbs…

My version, on the other hand, is all about simplicity. There’s absolutely no pre-cooking required, so no hassle… just deliciousness. It’s such an easy recipe – if you can mix ingredients, you can make this easy nut roast.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• nuts – I used cashew nuts and peanuts (which happened to be red peanuts, but any type will do!). Nuts can be quite expensive, so honestly, I would just choose whatever nuts make sense to you. If you can find another kind of nut more cheaply, that’s totally fine.
• vegetables – I used carrot, mushrooms, and red onion. Make sure you chop your veggies nice and finely (or grate them, if appropriate), so that the nut roast holds together nicely.
• tinned lentils – using a can is so much easier than boiling dried lentils (but you can do that instead, if you prefer).
• rolled oats – a quicker, and more nutritious, alternative to breadcrumbs.
• grated cheddar – use a nice mature cheese for extra flavour.
• eggs – to help hold everything together.
• fresh sage – brings a Christmassy flavour. Use dried sage if you prefer, though I do like having the whole leaves to garnish the nut roast.
• dried oregano (or any other dried herb you like)
• garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar because it’s quick and easy, and I hate chopping fresh garlic.
• dried cranberries – you can skip these if you’re not a fan, but they really do bring a nice touch of sweetness to the nut roast.

This recipe is quite versatile, so you could swap out some of the ingredients, if you’d like to. For example:

• Most other kinds of nuts will also work just fine – use whatever you like. Walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc. will all be great. You don’t have to only choose two. I used plain, unroasted and unsalted nuts, but roasted nuts will also work. If yours are pre-salted, don’t add any additional salt to the nut roast.
• You can swap out the vegetables I chose (mushrooms, carrots and red onion) if you like – just make sure you chop everything quite finely, as big chunks of vegetable may stop the loaf from holding together strongly. Grated parsnip, chopped bell peppers, or finely chopped broccoli should all work okay. I’d avoid anything too wet, like tomatoes or zucchini (courgette), or you might end up with a soggy loaf.
• The herbs can be swapped for any other herbs (fresh or dried) you have on hand. Nut roast is a great opportunity to use woody herbs, like thyme or rosemary, but fresher herbs like parsley will also work well.

How to Serve Corn Casserole

This sweetcorn casserole is intended to be a side dish – perhaps as part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. A scoop of this would be amazing on a plate with a vegetarian main course, some roast potatoes, and a couple of other vegetable dishes (roasted green beans are a good option!).

Since this corn casserole is quite a rich dish, with plenty of flavour, it’s a good idea to serve it alongside some more simple dishes (like simply boiled or roasted veggies), so they’re not competing for attention on the plate!

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• canned sweetcorn
• eggs
• plain flour
• milk
• butter
• cheddar cheese
• sugar (optional, but it gives a lovely hint of sweetness)
• pickled red jalapeños (again, optional, but they bring so much flavour)

Don’t I Need an Ice Cream Machine?

Ice cream machines make beautiful ice cream because they keep the mixture moving as it freezes, causing it to become light and creamy, rather than just a solid block of ice.

However, as long as you whip plenty of air into the mixture before popping it in the freezer, you don’t need an ice cream maker to make this pumpkin pie ice cream – or any of my other homemade ice cream recipes! The fluffy whipped cream mixture has enough air in it that it doesn’t just become a solid lump.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

A couple of the ingredients in this recipe will differ slightly depending on whether you’re in the UK (like me!), in the US, or elsewhere. Hopefully this will help:

• condensed milk – the stuff that comes in a can. This is not the same as evaporated milk!
• double cream – if you’re in the US, use heavy (whipping) cream. Our double cream in the UK has a fat content of around 48%, which I believe is actually a little higher than the fat content in heavy cream (which is more like 36%), but it should still work well.
• canned pumpkin – if you’re in the UK like me, it’s not always easy to find in the shops, but you can buy pumpkin on Amazon for a pretty reasonable price.
• pumpkin pie spice – very similar to our ‘mixed spice’ in the UK! It generally contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

Why Roast Gnocchi on a Sheet Pan?

If you’ve been reading Easy Cheesy Vegetarian for a while, you might know that I usually encourage people to pan fry gnocchi, in order to crisp it up and make it extra light and fluffy (it’s so much better than boiling!).

However, I really wanted to keep this sheet pan gnocchi to just one tray – I generally don’t like recipes that give me extra chores to do. Roasting the gnocchi in the oven gives it a similar crispy exterior, while also keeping the recipe super straightforward.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• gnocchi – any type is fine, either fresh ones or the vacuum-packed kind
• pumpkin
• tomatoes – use nice quality ones, if you can (it makes a difference!). I used medium sized tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes would be fine too.
• arugula / rocket (whatever you like to call it)
• rosemary
• red onion
• garlic
• feta cheese
• garlic butter (or regular butter, if you don’t have garlic butter)

Because this recipe is essentially just ‘lots of stuff roasted up together’, it’s really easy to swap out any of the ingredients, if you want to put your own spin on the recipe. Here are some suggestions:

• If it’s not the right time of year to buy pumpkin in the shops, butternut squash is a perfect alternative.
• The arugula (rocket) can be replaced by any fresh green leaves which can brighten up the dish – perhaps some spinach, watercress, or even some fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
• Instead of rosemary, you could use any other woody herb, like thyme or sage.
• If you’re not a fan of feta cheese, you could use soft goat’s cheese, halloumi cheese, or even melt over a bit of cheddar!
• Feel free to add extra vegetables to this roasted gnocchi recipe – anything that will roast up nicely will work, e.g. mushrooms, zucchini, or peppers.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• potatoes
• eggplant (aubergine)
• canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
• onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
• canned tomatoes
• tomato paste
• garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
• dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
• tomato – to slice up for the topping
• milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

What is Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni?

If you don’t already know, cannelloni are long, wide tubes of pasta, which are often filled with a creamy spinach and ricotta filling. The tubes are then baked in tomato sauce, with a cheesy topping – it is incredible.

However, making homemade cannelloni isn’t always straightforward. Sometimes it can be tricky to get the filling inside the raw pasta tubes – often people use some sort of piping bag. But simply rolling tortillas around the filling is a lot simpler!

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni is already one of my favourite dishes of all time, but these spinach enchiladas are quite possibly even better.

Yep, I said it.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• flour tortillas
• spinach – you could use frozen spinach if you prefer, but make sure you squeeze out the water after it’s cooked, as it releases a lot more liquid than fresh spinach does.
• ricotta cheese
• tomato sauce – choose a tasty one! I used a good quality tomato pasta sauce with garlic and basil.
• basil pesto – again, a good quality pesto can really amp up this dish!
• black olives – totally optional if you’re not an olive fan, but I love them, and they bring a lot of flavour to the dish!
• grated cheese – I used a mixture of mozzarella (for meltiness) and cheddar (for flavour).
• cherry tomatoes

What Is Tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh is a salad that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, that’s usually made from bulgur wheat, parsley, mint and tomatoes. It’s super simple, but with heaps of flavour.

The traditional tabbouleh recipe is undoubtedly delicious, but I decided to make this version even more tasty by adding a few additional ingredients, like chickpeas, olives, cucumber, and halloumi cheese. They make the salad more hearty too, so it can function as a whole meal on its own.

What is Bulgur Wheat?

If you’ve never had bulgur wheat before, you’re missing out! It’s similar to couscous, in that it’s tiny pieces of wheat-based grain, almost like tiny pieces of pasta. It’s mild and nutty, and just like other grains, it can take on any flavour profile you want it to.

Bulgur wheat is a whole grain, so it’s really good for you too.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• bulgur wheat. If you have the choice, go for a fine bulgur rather than a coarse one. Quinoa or couscous would also work, if that’s what you have on hand; check the cooking instructions on the packet if you’re using an alternative grain.
• canned chickpeas
• olives. I used a mixture of whole green olives and sliced black olives, which gave a nice variety of texture and flavour.
• halloumi cheese. The halloumi will be served cold in this salad, and can become a little ‘squeaky’. I personally love this, but if you’re not a fan of cold halloumi, you could easily swap this for crumbled feta or any other cheese.
• pine nuts (or an alternative nut or seed)
• lemon juice (I used fresh)
• fresh parsley and mint
• tomatoes. Use good quality tomatoes with lots of flavour – the ones that smell like a greenhouse!
• cucumber
• vegetable stock. I used a stock cube, which I crumbled into hot water. You can use liquid stock if that’s what you have – just heat it up before adding to the bulgur.

Printable Instructions

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Feta and Roasted Vegetable Crustless Quiche

This tasty vegetarian crustless quiche is packed with roasted vegetables and chunks of feta cheese – so much flavour, and no pastry!

Course Light lunch

Cuisine French

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 317kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 red onion
• 1 medium zucchini (courgette)
• 2 bell peppers (I used red and orange)
• ~ 6 medium mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 6 eggs
• 200 ml (~ 3/4 cup) single cream (see notes)
• 1 Tablespoon basil pesto
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 70 g (~ 1/2 cup) self-raising flour
• 200 g (~ 7 oz) feta cheese, roughly crumbled
• 1 teaspoon butter or oil

Instructions

• Cut the vegetables (red onion through mushrooms) into bitesized pieces (~ 2cm dice), and spread them on a baking tray.
  
• Toss with a little oil, and roast at 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F) for around 45 minutes, stirring once or twice as they cook. They should end up quite well roasted, so there’s not too much excess moisture going into the quiche.
  
• While the vegetables are roasting, crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, and beat them with a fork or whisk. Add the cream and pesto, and mix again. I also added plenty of black pepper.
  
• Next, add the flour, and beat thoroughly until the mixture is fairly smooth. You can sift the flour through a fine sieve first if you have one – otherwise, just make sure you press any lumps of flour with the back of the fork to mix them in thoroughly.
  
• When the vegetables are well roasted, add them to the egg mixture, along with the roughly crumbled feta cheese (keep the chunks fairly big). Mix to combine – quite gently so you don’t break up the cheese.
  
• Thoroughly grease an 8-inch springform cake tin – I find it easiest to use a pinch of butter and my fingertips. Spray oil also works well. Pour the egg mixture into the tin, and make sure the vegetables are spread evenly around the tin.
  
• Bake for around 45 minutes, or until the quiche is golden brown on top, and no longer jiggly in the middle. If the eggs are browning before they’re fully set, cover the tin with foil and return to the oven (I didn’t need to do this, but it depends on how intense your oven is).
  
• Serve warm or cold.
  

Video

Notes

Different countries seem to offer different kinds of milk and cream, with different names. The cream I used, single cream, is 19% fat, so try to find an option that has a similar amount of fat, or a little less.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.3g | Protein: 14.7g | Fat: 21.5g | Saturated Fat: 9.7g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 4.9g | Calcium: 292mg | Iron: 3mg

Recipe Video

Printable Recipe

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Easy Cheesy Potatoes Anna

These Cheesy Potatoes Anna are an easy potato side dish that's perfect for a special occasion like Christmas or Easter!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 stacks

Calories 178kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Equipment

• 1 mandoline

Ingredients

• 680 g (~ 1 1/2 lb) potatoes
• 60 g (~ 2 oz) room temperature butter (I used salted)
• 50 g (~ 1 2/3 oz) vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated (~ 1/2 cup when grated)
• Small bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
• Black pepper

Instructions

• Thoroughly grease a non-stick baking tray with room temperature butter, and set it aside.
• Wash the potatoes thoroughly and remove any eyes or sprouts. I left the skins on my potatoes, but you can peel them if you prefer.
• Slice the potatoes very thinly. A mandoline is the perfect tool for this (always use the finger guard!) – or, if you don’t have a mandoline, you can use a sharp knife. Avoid rinsing the potato slices because the starch helps them stick together during cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F).
• On the greased baking tray, form a circle with overlapping potato slices, measuring about 4 inches across. Dot the potato circle with pinches of butter, and sprinkle with finely grated parmesan, chopped chives, and a small pinch of pepper.
• Repeat these layers (potato, butter, cheese, chives, pepper) on top, two more times, to create a stack of Potatoes Anna.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients to create a total of 6 stacks.
• Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the edges are crispy and browned. Serve with additional fresh chives, if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1stack | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.4g | Protein: 4.8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6.4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 1.3g | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg