VEGAN CHRISTMAS: TOFU, NUT & MUSHROOM WELLINGTON, Vegan with vegetarian option

Crowd-pleasing Vegan/Vegetarian main course with seasonal flair...

Vegan 'Wellington': beautiful & delicious festive main course
'Contents really tasty; very surprised! Who would think it was Vegan?' 'Delicious!' Committed carnivore tasters 

Nearly every household will be preparing a vegetarian or vegan dish for Christmas this year;  family cooks by now are probably racking their brains trying to decide what, exactly, to serve.  

Because Seasonal vegan mains are a dime a dozen but for Christmas dinner they need to be special.  They must...

• be or look out-of-the-ordinary to match the occasion 
• complement roasties, sprouts, gravy & cranberry sauce
• appeal as much to carnivores as to vegetarians/vegans
• be part or (preferably) wholly prepared in advance OR/AND
• can be cooked in advance and re-heat well
• not make chef's life more difficult than it already is on Christmas day 

67's specially created* Tofu, Chestnut & Mushroom Wellington fits the bill in spades.  

There's a little work and patience involved and the classic Wellington shape isn't exactly a barrel (sorry!) of laughs.  But hey...no shame if cook plumps instead for a simpler strudel or braid shape.  Or just wraps one half the pastry over the other and seals the edges with a fork.  The taste is the thing!

The list of ingredients seems long but most will be found in the cupboard or supermarkets.  Some are optional.

One of the joys of prepping the Wellington is that it can be totally prepared 24 hours in advance - though the milk or egg wash should go on just before baking.  Pop it in the oven at the same time as the roasties, while the turkey is resting.   

Cost: £5.50

Serves: 6-8

Ingreds:

   200gm/14oz mushrooms, finely chopped

   1/4 tsp dried thyme
   1 tbsp little olive oil  

   2 small onions processed or finely chopped (purple for pref; they're sweeter but yellow are fine)

   1 piece celery, finely chopped

   1.5 tbsp olive oil

   1 med garlic clove, peeled & crushed

   200gm/7oz frozen & defrosted firm tofu (67 used smoked), squeezed of liquid and processed to a mince (squeezed tofu weighs 160gm/5.6oz)  

   60gm/2.1oz (4) whole roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped (opt)
   handful pine nuts or other coarsely chopped nuts - up to 100gm/3.5oz
   100gm/3.5oz, shop bought* or homemade sun-blush tomato bombs, coarsely chopped
     50gm/1 3/4oz artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped (opt)

   

  2tbsp reduced salt soy sauce

  1 tsp smoked paprika

  1 tbsp brandy
  2 tbsp tomato paste
  1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  juice half a lemon
  8-10 dashes Worcestershire sauce or vegan substitute (opt)

  salt & lots of freshly ground black pepper

   

   vegan ready-rolled puffed pastry** or all-butter for non-vegans (67's choice)  
   wholemeal breadcrumbs (opt)

   Glaze: unsweetened plant milk (or egg for vegetarians) 

Method:

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or silicon mat

1. Fry mushrooms over med heat in a bit of oil & thyme; when 'shrooms are releasing liquid, turn heat to high, cook briskly 10 mins until dry; cool
2. Fry onions & celery in oil in large pan, covered, 10 mins; add garlic,
3. In a separate container, mix tofu mince, chopped chestnuts, soy sauce, breadcrumbs if using, brandy, paprika, tomato paste, mustard, lemon juice & seasoning; mix with onion until amalgamated.  The mix should hold together nicely 
4. Place a large piece of cling film on a board; cover with dry spinach leaves in a rectangular shape, leaving a wide border around it
5. Spread mushroom mix over in as neat a layer as possible, as below
   
6. Heap with tofu/chestnut mince at one end; tightly roll up until the mince is enclosed; remove excess spinach leaves if necessary
7. Twist ends to make a big sausage shape; refrigerate several hours or overnight
   
8. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 230c/450f/gas8
9. Unroll pastry
10. If necessary, cut the ends of the tofu sausage to make a two inch pastry overhang at each end; place it close to the long edge of the pastry 
11. Wrap the pastry over the sausage until it you have a thin seam on the bottom; pinch or fold the overhang on the sides using a bit of egg or milk wash as glue
12. Put baking tray into the oven - without the Wellington - to warm up
13. Trim & tidy the Wellington.  Cut a small cross in the top of the pastry and fold the edges back to allow steam to escape.
14. Use a sharp knife to draw a curve down the centre and make diagonal curves 1/2in/1cm apart on both sides of the line OR cut out leaves etc & decorate 
15. Glaze the top and sides of the 'Wellington' with egg wash/plant milk
16. Use a couple of fish slices to place  on hot tray
17. Bake 5 mins; reduce temperature to 200c/400f/gas6 and bake a further 20-25 mins or until golden
18. Serve with vegetarian gravy and all the Christmas trimmings

Comments:
'Really tasty.  It's got lots of variety and texture - a wonderful mix of flavour that would make the meat eater jealous.  The pastry is excellent.  I never thought vegan food could be this good. Congratulations!' Political Agent
'It was delicious!  I say that as a meat eater.  I would eat it again which is unusual when it comes to veg.' Campaign Manager
'Lovely & Christmassy.  The shiny golden pastry made it seem like a Christmas cracker!'  Retired writer

Tips:

• if you're not bothering with the barrel shape, work out what shape will suit (braid or a simple book shape with edges crimped or sealed with a fork).  Lay out the spinach leaves, cover with mushrooms & heap with filling. Note: if making a braid, don't cut the strips until you've worked out how much space the filling will take up  
• Worcestershire sauce contains fish; any vegan equivalent will do
• *M&S deli special continues: 3 of mixed antipasti or sunblush tomatoes or  artichoke hearts or olives & others £7, usual price £3.50 each

*inspired by the Vegan Society & Gordon Ramsay

**Jus Roll, Sainsbury's, Tesco 

  More Vegan/Vegetarian onNav Bar/Recipes II: Vegetarian

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Copyright: This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.