It would be unfair to exclude the vegetarians from Christmas Dinner, so if you do have any vegetarian friends coming over, or if you are vegetarian yourself, get yourself in the kitchen to make this nut roast.

This nut roast is filling, nutty and delicious. And I know it seems like a lot of cheese, but trust me, the cheese makes it all the more tasty!

You can decorate the top of the loaf with extra mushrooms, or you can decorate with any other vegetables that you have in the house. Vegetables are great to serve with this nut roast.

This is great even for non-vegetarians, and makes a great dish for any roast dinner, not just Christmas.

Ingredients

350 grams cooked brown rice
1 onion, roughly chopped
olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
250 grams mushrooms, finely chopped (use a food processor)
50 grams mushrooms, thinly sliced
50 ml port
200 grams walnut, roughly chopped (use a food processor)
150 grams almonds, roughly chopped (use a food processor)
330 grams cheese (mixture of Comte, Parmesan, and cheddar)
5 eggs
250 grams mascarpone
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a loaf tin, and line it with baking paper, with excess over each sides of the tin.
2. In a shallow frying pan, saute the onion in some olive oil for 4 – 5 minutes over medium heat, until onions start to soften. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper, cook until the mushrooms start to become soft and release their juices.
3. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of each dried herb. Continue to cook. When the pan starts to dry out, add the port and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix the nuts and brown rice.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and the mascarpone. Add the egg mixture to the rice and nuts. Stir through the mushrooms, grated cheese and remaining dried herbs. Add salt and pepper if needed.
6. Fill the prepared loaf tin with the nut mixture. Tap the loaf tin on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Smooth with a spatula, and decorate with the finely sliced mushrooms.
7. Place in the oven for an hour. Rest for ten minutes. Remove from the oven, and use the excess baking paper to remove the nut roast from the loaf tin. Peel off the baking paper and place on a platter.
8. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with vegetarian gravy.