It uses handy store cupboard ingredients, alongside, native and hardy garden herbs and your left over bread. A good alternative to packet vegan sausage or bake mixes.
Ingredients
- 3-4 slices of wholemeal bread crumbs using a grater or chopping tool.
(or any bread you have drying out! 50/50 white, sourdough! Whatever! You can collect breadcrumbs in the freezer until you have enough)
- ½ roasted medium sized butternut squash roasted
Other sweet root veg would also do – eg 2 parsnips. These could just be steamed.
- 2 garlic cloves - roasted
- 1 leek – finely chopped and roasted. (you can use onion if it is not leek season)
- A good squeeze of lemon ( + lemon zest if you like a strong lemon flavour)
- 6-8 sage leaves – chopped (makes about 1 tbsp – not densely packed)
- ¼ cup of 5 seed blend (Shipton Mill product.) (or any mixture of seeds you have in the cupboard)
- ½-1 stock cube or tsp bouillon.
- Seasoning – salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional – 1 tsp turmeric / ½ tsp chilli flakes chopped wild garlic leaves etc.,
Method
Oven on to 180 degrees (fan)
1: Make the breadcrumbs by grating the softer bread, chop up the crustier bits and use a chopper(food mixer) attachment, or alternatively, dry the slices out in a low temperature oven, then smash them easily with the end of a rolling pin.
2: Cut the Butternut squash in half, leaving the skin on, get the seeds and stringy bits out (I use the sharp end of a traditional style potato peeler), and place in the oven to roast for approx 1 hour, until the flesh is soft enough to be spooned out. (You can also cook this in a microwave if you are not baking – but it will not have such a sweet flavour) roast or steam any other sweeter root veg as alternative, chop them finely once cooked.
3; Also using the oven – peel the garlic cloves, and finely chop a leek. Spread these out on a baking tray with a little oil, and gently roast till softened and just a little browned (keep turning so that one part does not get blackened)
4: Finely chop the sage using a sharp kitchen knife, or using kitchen scissors in a mug.
5: Mix the boillon powder or stock cube with ¼ pt of boiling water.
6: Mix together all the dry ingredients and season lightly.
7: Add the boiling water to the dry ingredients and the roasted veg (chop the roots finely once roasted), stir together – and allow this to soak into the breadcrumbs and moisten – if any seems dry, add more hot water, a little at a time and mix in.
8: Put the moistened mixture into an oiled oven dish, eg metal loaf tin, or small oven serving dish – if it is around 1 inch deep, then you will have plenty of crispier topping which adds nice variety to the texture.
9: Bake in the oven for 30 mins – serve on its own with side salad / coleslaw, or as a vegan sunday roast alternative with all the trimmings.