FESTIVE VEGGIES
Eat your greens, and every other colour besides, with these seasonal vegetarian and vegan festive recipes
Showstopping vegan-friendly dishes to share
Sprout, fennel, apple & blue cheese tart
Delicious served hot or cold, this impressive tart is beautifully balanced with sweet, salty, aromatic and bitter flavours.
SERVES 6-8
PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes COOKING TIME about 1 hour 10 minutes
● 50g butter
● 2tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra to brush
● 200g Brussels sprouts, roughly sliced
● 1 garlic clove, crushed
● 2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
● 1 fennel bulb (about 200g), core removed and cut into 1.5cm slices (reserve fennel fronds to garnish)
● 1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
● 3 large eggs
● 300ml double cream
● 6 sheets filo pastry
● 125g vegetarian Stilton, crumbled FOR THE CARAMELISED WALNUTS 50g caster sugar
● 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Heat ½ the butter and ½ the oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat. Cook the sprouts for 8-10min until soft. Stir through the garlic and thyme, then cook for a further min. Tip into a bowl, return the pan to the heat and add remaining butter and oil. Fry the fennel for 5min, then add the apple and fry for a further 5min until turning golden. Add to bowl with sprouts.
2 Meanwhile, in a large jug, beat together the eggs, cream and some seasoning.
3 Brush one side of each filo sheet with a little oil, then put oil-side down in a 20cm-round fluted tin on a baking sheet – overlap the sheets and turn the tin to make sure the base and sides are covered (leave excess pastry hanging over sides). Scrunch up the pastry edges into a ruffled crown. Spoon in the sprout mixture and sprinkle Stilton over top. Pour in the cream mixture. Cook for 40-45min, or until filling is set.
4 Meanwhile, make the caramelised walnuts: in a small pan gently heat sugar with 50ml water. Once the sugar has melted, bring liquid up to the boil, then simmer for 5min. Add the walnuts, bring back to the boil and boil for 1min. Tip on to a baking tray lined with baking parchment, discarding excess syrup, and leave to cool.
5 Allow tart to cool slightly, then remove from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature, scattered with the caramelised walnuts and garnished with fennel fronds.