Delicious Dishes - A vegetarian Christmas lunch

Vegetarian food has now become part of everyday cooking. I serve at least three or four vegetarian options in the restaurant every day and I know they are a popular choice with everyone, not just non meat eaters.

By Imelda Tynan Devitt in association with Tynan’s Restaurant, The Storeyard, Kew-Lew Business Park, Portlaoise

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The Nut Roast recipe can be prepared in advance and will hold in the fridge for a few days. The fillings in the Spinach Roulade can be changed to suit your own individual tastes e.g. roasted vegetables or creamed celeriac are really tasty options.

Nut Roast

12oz Orange Lentils

2 Large Carrots, peeled & chopped

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 Yellow Pepper, diced

4 Celery Sticks, diced

2 Medium Onions, diced

½ Chilli, deseeded & chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

4oz Cheddar Cheese, grated

1oz Parmesan Cheese, grated

4oz Cashew Nuts, chopped

1tsp Ground Cumin

3oz Plain Flour

1oz Butter

6 Free Range Eggs

Salt & Pepper

1 Bunch of Fresh Coriander, chopped

Cover the lentils with water and boil for 8 minutes, drain and leave aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the garlic, chilli, cumin and all the vegetables and cook over a low heat for about 3 – 4 minutes, remove from the heat and add the lentils, eggs, cheese, nuts, flour and the salt & pepper. Add fresh coriander and pour mix into a 2lb greased loaf tin. Bake at 190° for 40 – 45 minutes. Allow to cool. This dish is best if cooked a day early and allowed to fully cool and can be kept in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Serve sliced hot or cold with some delicious apple chutney.

Spinach Roulade

6oz Fresh Baby Spinach

1 Large Onion, peeled and finely chopped

1oz Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

2oz Plain Flour

2oz Butter

¾ pint Milk

4 Free Range Eggs, separated

Handful of Sesame Seeds

Filling

3 Parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped

1oz Butter

Salt & Pepper

Wash the spinach and dry completely. In a saucepan melt the butter and gently cook the onion until soft, add the flour and stir. Gradually stir in the milk, keep on a low heat and cook until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, egg yolks, cheddar cheese and the salt & pepper. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and stir into the spinach mix. Pour into a lined Swiss roll tin and sprinkle with sesame seeds and parmesan cheese and bake at 190°-200° for 10 minutes, turn and cook for a further 5 minutes until firm to touch. This needs to go into a fridge and be cooled completely before being rolled.

To make the filling: Boil the parsnip and sweet potato until soft, strain and add butter , salt and pepper and blend. Let this mix cool completely. Turn your roulade out on a piece of tinfoil and spread the parsnip and potato mix over the roulade and roll up.

This is delicious served warm with all your Christmas vegetables and potato.