Avegetarian cen trepiece

‘There are lots of vegetarians at our Christmas table and this beautiful roulade ensures no one feels left out. Swap the thyme for any herbs that take your fancy. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge; simply enjoy chilled with a glass of fizz.’ Alice Shields, COOKERY WRITER

Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Roulade

The colour of this is so enticing. If you’re not a fan of goat’s cheese, cream cheese works well, too.

300g cooked beetroot, in natural juices, drained 5 medium eggs, separated

1tsp Dijon mustard

1tsp white wine vinegar

50g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

150g spinach

150g soft goat’s cheese 300g ricotta

50g toasted walnuts, finely chopped, plus extra, chopped, to garnish

1tbsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped, plus sprigs to garnish Oil, to grease

1 Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5 and line a rough 23 x 33cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment.

2 In a blender or food processor, whizz together the beetroot, egg yolks, mustard, white wine vinegar, flour, baking powder and plenty of seasoning until smooth. Tip into a large bowl.

3 In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon, mix a spoonful of the whites into the beetroot mixture to loosen, then fold in the remaining whites, keeping in as much air as possible.

4 Scrape into the lined tin and gently smooth to level. Cook for 15-18min, or until firm to the touch and lightly golden. Cool in the tin.

5 For the filling, put the spinach into a colander in the sink and pour over a full kettle of just-boiled water to wilt. When cool enough to handle, lift up handfuls of spinach and firmly squeeze out excess moisture. Roughly chop, then mix with the goat’s cheese, ricotta, walnuts, thyme and plenty of seasoning.

6 Lightly grease a sheet of baking parchment and invert the roulade on to it. Peel off the lining parchment, then spread over the filling. With the help of the base parchment, roll up the roulade from a short edge. Transfer to a serving plate or board, seam down. Garnish with extra walnuts and thyme sprigs; serve. PER SERVING 248cals, 15g protein, 17g fat (7g saturates), 8g carbs (3g total sugars), 2g fibre

GET AHEAD Make up to a day ahead (but don’t garnish). Cover and chill. To serve, bring to room temperature and complete recipe.