Vegan roast
SERVES 8 PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES (+ STANDING)
⅓ cup (70g) white quinoa, rinsed 1 extra-large zucchini (350g), halved lengthways
1 small leek (200g), white part only 1.9kg whole butternut pumpkin, halved lengthways
1 small onion (80g), chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 3 teaspoons ground linseed 2 tablespoons hot water
¼ cup (35g) dried cranberries
⅓ cup (35g) hazelnut meal
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
2 Bring ⅔ cup (160ml) water to the boil in a small saucepan, add quinoa. Reduce heat; cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. Cool.
3 Scoop flesh from zucchini using a strong spoon, leaving a 5mm border. Reserve zucchini flesh. Trim leek, if needed, to fit inside zucchini.
4 Scoop seeds from pumpkin; discard. Scoop flesh from pumpkin, making a cavity large enough to fit zucchini. Reserve pumpkin flesh. Trim the zucchini, if needed, to fit inside pumpkin. Prick the insides of zucchini and pumpkin with a fork. Process reserved zucchini and pumpkin flesh with onion and garlic until chopped finely.
5 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add processed vegetables, thyme and quinoa; season. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender. Cool.
6 Meanwhile, to make stuffing, combine ground linseed and the hot water in a medium bowl; stand for 10 minutes. Combine linseed mixture with quinoa mixture, cranberries and hazelnut meal.
7 Press some of the stuffing into zucchini cavities. Press leek into one half of the zucchini; cover with the other half. Press remaining stuffing into pumpkin cavities. Place stuffed zucchini in one pumpkin half; cover with the other half. Secure pumpkin together with kitchen string. Brush with remaining oil; season. Wrap in foil; place in a roasting pan.
8 Roast for 1½ hours. Uncover and roast for a further 30 minutes or until outside is browned and vegetables are tender. Cover loosely with foil; stand for 30 minutes. Serve. Serving ideas
Serve with roast potatoes and vegan gravy.