Pine Nut and Carrot Roast with Mushroom Sauce

Course: Main

Skill level: medium Serves: 6

25 g (1 oz) butter

1 onion, chopped finely

225 g (8 oz) carrots, grated finely

2 celery sticks, chopped finely

225 g (8 oz) pine nuts, chopped

2 tbs chopped parsley

Squeeze of lemon juice

2 free range eggs, beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg For the Sauce:

7 g (¼ oz) dried mushrooms, rinsed

25 g (1 oz) butter

1 small onion, sliced thinly

2 tsp cornflour

2 tbs vegetarian Madeira or fortified wine

2 tbs shoyu sauce

To Serve: roast potatoes; seasonal vegetables of choice.

1 Pre-heat the oven to

180 deg C., 350 deg. F.,

Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 500 g (1 lb) loaf tin.

2 Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion, without browning, for 5 minutes, then add the carrots and celery and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

3 Remove from heat and add the pine nuts, parsley, lemon juice and eggs. Mix together and season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4 Pour into the tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes until golden brown and firm in the centre.

5 To make the sauce, put the mushrooms and 600 ml (1 pt) water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil then remove from heat and leave to soak for 40 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid. Chop the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and gently cook for 30 minutes until tender. Mix the cornflour with the reserved liquid, Madeira and shoyu, then add to the mushroom mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring until slightly thickened. Season to taste.

6 Turn the roast out on to a plate, slice thickly and drizzle with the mushroom sauce. Serve with roast potatoes, and seasonal vegetables.