Christmas roast parcels with tempeh and squash
Here we go, with the last Christmas recipe for this year and probably the last of 2021. I will take a break from posting over the Christmas holidays to work on new content for Veganuary.
Now, back to our main subject: this amazing Christmas roast! Let me tell you that this is not your average vegan nut roast or Wellington and it will surely wow your guests.
These flakey and flavorful filo parcels are stuffed with sage-flavoured crispy tempeh and squash. They are very meaty, both in flavour and texture and they go well - ça va sans dire - with a ton of roasted veggies on the side and soaked in gravy!
The quantities listed below are for 5 people (5 parcels) but if you have more guests, double or triple up the ingredients accordingly.
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
250g tempeh
210g butternut squash, cooked
65g stale bread
7 sheets of filo pastry
½ onion
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp tamari
¼ glass red wine
A handful of fresh sage
Black pepper and salt to taste
Olive oil for cooking
Unsweetened plant-based milk for soaking the bread
INSTRUCTIONS:
Crumble the tempeh and set it aside. Finely dice the garlic, the onion and the fresh sage and place in a bowl.
Cut the stale bread into big chunks, place it in a bowl, soak with the milk and set aside too.
Heat a splash of olive oil and stir-fry the onion with the garlic and the sage.
Once they are soft, add the tempeh and stir-fry too. Add the tamari to taste, stir, then pour the red wine. Let it evaporate and cook the tempeh, over low heat, for 10 minutes until it has browned a bit and it’s crispy on the outside. Season with black pepper and add more salt to taste (optional).
Press the bread between your hands in order to remove any excess milk but do not discard this last. Move it into a big bowl, add the squash puree, the tempeh and mix all together till all the ingredients are combined.
Take a packet of filo pastry sheets and cut them in half. Take one square sheet, brush it with the leftover milk, gently lay another sheet on top, then brush again and add a third layer.
Take 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the tempeh filling and place them in the middle of the sheet. Brush with more milk around it, then carefully seal the sheets to form a parcel.
Lay on a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, making sure that the parcels’ tops don’t get too brown.
Serve the parcels with roasted veggies, gravy and enjoy!
