Christmas veggie wellington (GF, DF, plant-based)

Christmas can be hard when we’ve made changes to how we eat. We want to be able to join in with everyone else, and we don’t want to make a fuss, or make things difficult for others.

The silver lining is that certain friends or family members will be interested and keen to help and it can actually be a way of sharing our experience with them and getting some much needed support.

Many of us feel so awkward about our dietary restrictions, or sensitive about our autoimmune condition, that we miss these valuable opportunities to open up and connect with people who want to help us.

This recipe works really well for Christmas dinner if you are looking for something gluten-free, vegan or dairy-free. It has a brilliant deep umami flavour, along with the comfort of the pastry. Add a tasty gravy and some roast potatoes on the side.

You could make your own pastry, but I think at Christmas when there is so much else to do, it’s a good time to just buy some, even though it will be more processed than a homemade version.

If you need a gluten-free and / or vegan pastry, Jus-rol do a good one, which is available at most supermarkets.

You could make the filling in advance. It will keep in the fridge for a day, or you could freeze it, then defrost it on Christmas Eve.

The only hard part is wrapping the pastry, don’t forget to score the top to let the steam out as it cooks.

If you’re looking for some good ways to flavour your gravy, try brown rice miso, tamari soy sauce, porcini mushrooms and some thyme and bay.

Ingredients

200g mushrooms (brown or Portobello), roughly chopped or torn

1 onion, chopped finely

1 carrot, chopped finely

2 celery sticks, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

2 tbsps fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tin dark lentils (Belazu jars of pardina lentils are great), drained and rinsed

1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

100ml red wine (optional)

150g baby spinach

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 pack puff pastry (eg Jus Rol gluten free and vegan puff, or make your own if you are feeling confident!)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan.

Toss the mushrooms in olive oil and spread on a baking tray. Roast for 20 mins, then leave to cool.

While the mushrooms roast, warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion, carrot and celery over a medium heat for 10 minutes until soft.

Add the garlic, rosemary, lentils, red wine, tamari and 3 tbsps water to the veg in the saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for another 10 mins, until the liquid has disappeared. Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool. Add the cooled mushrooms to this mix.

Wash the spinach, then wilt it by pouring a full kettle of boiling water over it, followed immediately by cold running water to cool it and keep it a vibrant green. Drain and squeeze out any remaining water. Roughly chop.

Roll the pastry out into a rough rectangle, about 3mm thin (which it will be if you’re using Jus Rol!).

Place the cooled lentil mix lengthways across the top half of the rectangle, leaving a 2cm gap at the ends. Place the chopped spinach over the top of the mix. Gently lift up the bottom half of the pastry and fold it over the mixture to completely encase it.

Press the edges down to seal and crimp them together. Brush with a little olive oil. Cut three vent holes in the top with a sharp knife.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins, until golden and cooked through.

Serve with roast potatoes and gravy.