Healthy Harts – vegan roasts

HOST WITH THE ROAST

Award-winning food and lifestyle author Romy London has been cited as one of the top vegan bloggers to follow. Her new book showcases plant-based comfort food at its best

Orange and Cranberry Roast Wreath

With the addition of orange, this roast is extra zesty and brings the deliciously sweet taste of cranberries to the next level.

SERVES 6-8

FOR THE ROAST WREATH 28g (2 tbsp) vegan butter 160g finely diced red onion 2 tsp crushed garlic 100g finely diced celery 128g finely diced carrots 130g cranberries 1 tsp orange zest 60 ml fresh orange juice Half tsp sea salt 1 tbsp light brown sugar 1 tsp fresh thyme 1 cube vegetable bouillon Quarter tsp ground black pepper 234g chopped walnuts 2 tbsp peanut butter 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp water 2 tbsp almond flour 2 tbsp flaxseeds 4 tbsp cranberry sauce Orange shavings and nuts, to decorate the wreath (optional)

1 Place the vegan butter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the garlic. Cook for 1 min, then add the celery and carrots. Stir and cook for around 10 minutes, or until the carrots have slightly softened. 2 Add the cranberries to the pan and stir. Cook the mixture for 5 mins, or until the cranberries have softened. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the orange zest, fresh orange juice, salt and brown sugar. After 2 minutes, add the fresh thyme. Crumble in the bouillon cube and add the black pepper. Simmer over low heat while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients. 3 In the meantime, transfer the walnuts to a food processor and pulse just long enough to break them into chunks. Transfer them to the skillet and stir in before removing the skillet from the heat.

4 Preheat your oven to 190C/Gas 5. In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, apple cider vinegar and water. Add to the skillet and stir all the ingredients together, then stir in the almond flour and flaxseeds.

5 Grease a 27cm ring cake pan and transfer the mixture to it. Firmly press the mixture down into the ring with the back of a spatula to pack it densely. Carefully even out the top of the cake ring and transfer it to the preheated oven. 6 Bake for around 30 mins until the edges begin to brown, remembering to turn the ring around halfway through to ensure it bakes evenly. 7 Allow your wreath to cool on an even surface for 15 mins before carefully turning it upside down on a serving dish and removing the cake ring. 8 Decorate the top of the wreath with cranberry sauce, along with orange shavings and nuts (if using). This works wonderfully served alongside green beans and with a brandy peppercorn sauce.

THE LIST Mushroom and Lentil Cuisinart Mini Wellington Prep Pro

RRP: £60.00 Traditionally, a Wellington is made with Harts Price: £58.95 beef wrapped in a fl aky puff pastry and then baked. For vegan Wellingtons, there are several delicious fi llings, but this mushroom and lentil combination is a winner.

Mason Cash Nautical S18 26cm Mixing Bowl RRP: £25.00 Harts Price: £20.00

KitchenAid Forged Hardened Aluminium 28cm Skillet with Helper Handle & Lid

RRP: £130.00 Harts Price: £109.95

SERVES 6-8 For the Wellington 470g washed and sliced brown mushrooms Pinch of sea salt 28g vegan butter 160g fi nely diced yellow onion 67g fi nely diced celery 128g fi nely diced carrot 2 tsp crushed garlic 125 ml vegan white wine 396g canned green lentils 57g roughly chopped walnuts 2 sheets vegan puff pastry 1 tbsp tamari 1 tbsp plant-based milk

1 Place your mushrooms in a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat and stir frequently for a couple of mins, then sprinkle in the salt. Your mushrooms will release their water, become soft and shrink. Cook until the majority of the liquid has evaporated from the pan. Set aside. 2 In a separate skillet, heat the vegan butter and add the onion, celery and carrot. Sauté until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a few mins, then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Wait 2 mins, then add the sautéed mushrooms to the warm skillet and remove it from the heat. 3 Mash 1 cup (198g) of the green lentils with the back of a fork; keep the remainder intact. Stir the lentils into the pan, then add the walnuts and allow the mixture to cool for at least 1 hour. 4 In the meantime, bring your puff pastry sheets to room temperature, so they soften and become easier to unroll. 5 Once cooled down, spoon the mixture onto the middle of an unrolled puff pastry sheet in a log shape. Ensure the mixture is tightly packed within the pastry sheet. 6 Sprinkle a little water or plant-based milk on the pastry edges around the log, then gently place a second puff pastry sheet on top and press the edges against the bottom sheet to seal. Use a sharp knife to remove any excess pastry. Crimp the edges between your fi ngers or use a fork to seal them. 7 Use any leftover scraps of puff pastry to decorate your Wellington. You can score it or cut out little puff pastry shapes; dab them with a little plant milk to add them onto your log. 8 Rest the Wellington in your fridge or freezer for a minimum of 1 hour, then preheat your oven to 190C/Gas 5 and place a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 9 For the vegan egg wash, combine the tamari and plant-based milk in a small bowl. Brush it onto your Wellington. Roast the Wellington for around 25 mins, or until it is beautifully golden on the outside.

THE LIST

If You Care FSC Certifi ed Parchment Baking Sheets RRP: £4.95 Harts Price: £3.95

Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen Pastry Brush & Fork RRP: £7.50 Harts Price: £4.88

Master Class Professional Vitreous Enamel Baking Sheet

RRP: £19.49 Harts Price: £15.95

Pecan and Apple Stuffing

This is a great roast filling and side, filled with wonderful umami and comfort flavours. It boasts tangy and sweet aromas with a delicious crunchiness from the pecans.

SERVES 4-6

FOR THE STUFFING 1 tbsp canola oil 160g chopped onion 1 large apple, cut into 1cm cubes 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 200g peeled and finely diced carrots 150g finely diced celery 200g bread, ripped into bite-size chunks 50g chopped pecans, plus 25g whole pecans 2 tbsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional) 4 sprigs rosemary 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves 473ml vegetable stock

1 Preheat your oven to 200C/Gas 6. 2 Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for a few mins until translucent. Add the apple and cook for 5 mins, until the apple begins to soften and caramelise. Add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the carrots and celery. Cook for 2 mins, then remove everything from the heat. 3 Place your bread chunks in a large mixing bowl. Add the pecans, sunflower seeds (if using), rosemary and sage. Stir well and add your apple mixture. Combine everything, then transfer the mixture to a 20 x 15cm ovenproof dish. 4 Pour the vegetable stock over the dish and bake for 30 mins. Serve hot alongside the rest of your roast dinner.

THE LIST

Pyrex Cook & Store 2.0L

Bowl with Lid

RRP: £10.49

Harts Price: £8.39 Emile Henry Burgundy Ultime Rectangular Baking Dish 22cm x 14.5cm

RRP: £25.00

Harts Price: £22.50

World of Flavours Ceramic Oil and Vinegar Set

RRP: £19.49

Harts Price: £16.95

Caulifl ower Bake with Caramelised Onions

Forget caulifl ower cheese - this creamy caulifl ower bake is where it’s at! Cashews, potato, carrot and oats create a wonderfully thick and creamy texture. It’s heavenly, especially topped with caramelised onions and some almond fl akes for a perfect crunch!

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE OR 2 AS A MAIN

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER BAKE 30g cashews 1 head caulifl ower, cut into fl orets 40g roughly chopped white potatoes 60g roughly chopped carrot 1 tbsp white miso paste 473ml plant-based milk 2 tbsp rolled oats Half tsp sea salt Quarter tsp ground black pepper Quarter tsp sweet paprika 3 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp melted virgin coconut oil 2 tbsp olive oil 2 fi nely sliced red onions 1 tbsp light brown sugar 27g almond fl akes

1 Place your cashews in a small heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 20 mins, then drain. 2 In the meantime, steam your caulifl ower, potato and carrot separately over a saucepan fi lled with steaming water, until softened. Set the caulifl ower fl orets aside. 3 Place the potato and carrot in a blender or food processor. Add the white miso paste, plant-based milk, oats, salt, black pepper, paprika, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, coconut oil and drained cashews. Blend on high for around 3 mins, until you get a smooth sauce. 4 Combine the caulifl ower and sauce in a bowl. Transfer the mixture to a greased, ovenproof dish, then preheat your oven to 200C/Gas 6. 5 Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the red onions until translucent. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions caramelise. 6 Top the caulifl ower bake with the caramelised onions and almond fl akes. Place the ovenproof dish into the oven and bake for 10 mins, or until the top turns golden. Serve hot alongside roast potatoes and your favorite roast.

THE LIST

Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender Black Harts Price: £399.00

GreenPan Venice Pro Hard Anodised Ceramic NonStick 28cm Frypan

RRP: £70.00 Harts Price: £56.00

Judge Horwood Basics Multi Steamer Insert RRP: £26.40 Harts Price: £14.95

Recipes taken from The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Roasts: Feast-Worthy Recipes Everyone Will Love by Romy London, RRP £16.99, Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Romina Callwitz. The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Recipes Everyone Will by Romy London,

ABOUT ROMY

Cited as one of the top vegan bloggers to follow by the Evening Standard, Romy grew up on the Dutch and German border, and moved to the UK after fi nishing a degree in portrait photography. After going vegan in 2014, she discovered her passion for getting creative with food and 2 years later, created the blog Romy London UK to share her recipes with millions of foodies. She also appeared on Crazy Delicious, a Netfl ix cooking show taking on the challenge of cooking vegan food for Michelin-star renowned chefs. Romy’s work has been featured in numerous magazines and publications and on TV, including Vegan Life, Metro, Channel 4, Netfl ix, Radio Times and many more. Romy lives just outside London nowadays, enjoying the British countryside. Besides cooking, photographing and blogging, she loves road trips, gardening and binge-watching true crime series.