Mini nut roasts with candied carrots

MAKES 6 PREP 35 mins plus resting COOK 40 mins EASY V

250g bunch thin baby carrots

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the tin

5 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp milled flaxseed

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

350g mixed mushrooms, finely chopped

3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped

1 tsp tomato purée

2 tsp tamari or dark soy sauce

1 tbsp smoked paprika

100g pecans

50g hazelnuts

400g can green lentils, drained 400g can chickpeas, drained

40g ground almonds handful of sage and thyme leaves

You will need

6 mini loaf tins (silicone ones work well)

1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Scrub and trim the carrots, and cut them in half lengthways or into quarters if large. Toss the carrots with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp maple syrup in a bowl. Season well, and tip onto a baking tray. Roast for 20-25 mins until tender and starting to caramelise.

2 Meanwhile, mix the flaxseed with 4 tbsp water and leave to thicken. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, and fry the onion and celery until soft and translucent, about 10 mins. Add a splash of water if you need to, to stop them from catching. Stir in the garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, tomato purée, tamari and paprika, and fry for another 10 mins until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from the heat and leave in a bowl to cool slightly.

3 Put the pecans and hazelnuts in a food processor and blitz until roughly chopped. Add the lentils and chickpeas and blend again until you get a thick, dry paste.

4 Combine the nuts and pulses, mushroom mixture, ground almonds, 2 tbsp maple syrup and soaked flaxseed in a bowl with a good amount of seasoning. Mix everything well using your hands.

5 Oil six mini loaf tins and line each one with a strip of baking parchment. Trim and cut the carrots to fit in the base in a snug single layer, cut-side down. Roughly chop any remaining carrots and mix them through the nut roast mixture. Pack it firmly into the tins and smooth over. Bake, uncovered, for 20 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before inverting onto a serving plate, or plates. Fry the sage and thyme in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil until crisp, then stir through the remaining 1 tbsp maple syrup. Spoon over the nut roasts to serve.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • fibre • 3 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 460 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 3g • carbs 30g • sugars 16g • fibre 10g • protein 13g • salt 0.5g