(Vegetarian) Meat-Free No Beef Wellington – served with Roast Potatoes & Onion Gravy

The festive season is here and I have a beautiful Vegetarian meal which is perfect for a Christmas lunch or Dinner. I call it my Meat-Free No Beef Wellington.  What I love about this is that it can be made a day or 2 before and refrigerated and baked on Christmas day.  I have accompanied this with some pan roasted potatoes and a tangy onion gravy…mm mmm mmm.  Not only is this so impressive but equally delicious as well.  This is a perfect dish for any celebratory occasion.

Preparation time: 20 minutes   Baking time: 30-40   Cooking time: 45 minutes    Serves:  4 or more

1 packet puff pastry – thawed

2 heaped tbsp butter

½ cup onion finely chopped

1 tbsp (15ml) finely chopped garlic

400g white mushrooms –cleaned & very finely chopped

1 tsp (5ml) salt

1 tsp (5ml) chilli flakes

1 tbsp (15ml) coriander/cumin powder

2 tbsp (30ml) ground vegetarian parmesan cheese

¼ cup parsley finely chopped

1 off 380g  Fry’s Meat Free polony thawed

½ fresh milk for brushing pastry

This is how:

• Heat butter in a pot. Toss in the onions and sauté until golden brown.   Add garlic – cook for a few seconds and then add the mushrooms, salt, chilli chilli flakes & coriander/cumin powder.  Give it a good stir; cook down on medium to hot heat for 15 minutes.  Once mushrooms are soft and cooked, toss in the parmesan cheese and parsley.  Give it a good stir.   Turn off heat.  Allow to cool down.  Turn on the oven and preheat at 200C.

• Place a piece of cling film on flat surface. Spoon mushroom onto the cling film about 1 cm thick and to the length of the polony x 10cm wide.  Place the polony in the centre of the mushroom spread.

• Pull up the edges of the cling tightly so that the mushroom covers the polony, at the same twisting the edges of the cling (like a sweet wrapper)  Make sure the mushroom covers entire polony  – place in a very cold fridge for 10 minutes.

• Now unroll the pastry on a floured surface – cut a 15cm x 24cm piece – place polony in the centre of this piece of pastry – brush the edges of the pastry with milk.

• Take the bigger piece of pastry and cover entire polony.

• Trim 2 cm of the edges.  Use a fork to press down the edges sealing the polony in the pastry. Seal the both ends of the pastry as well.    Use the blunt end of a knife and delicately score the top of pastry diagonally – careful not to cut all the way through.

• Brush with milk and bake at 200C for 30-40 minutes until pastry is cooked. Allow to cool for 10  minutes before serving.  (it tends to slice better, when a bit cooler)

Roast Potatoes

16 baby potatoes peeled and boil until tender

2 tbsp (30ml) butter

½ tsp yellow asafoetida

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp mix herbs

½ tsp salt

Let’s roast these potatoes:

Once the potatoes are boiled and are soft but firm.  Heat butter in a sauce pan.  Toss in asafoetida and turmeric, give the pan a swirl.  Now add potatoes, mixed herbs and salt.  Toss or stir on medium to hot heat for 5 – 8 minutes.

Onion Gravy

2 knobs of Butter

2 small onions finely sliced

1 tbsp (15ml) finely chopped garlic

¼ tsp crushed black pepper corns

2 tbsp (30ml) (all purpose flour)

1 ½ cup 375ml) water

½ tsp Salt (adjust accordingly)

1 tsp (5ml) balsamic vinegar (add more if you like)

This is how:

Heat butter in a sauce pan.  Add onions and garlic –  cook on medium to hot heat until nice and brown.

Spoon in the flour – sauté for 2 minutes.    Add water a little at a time, whilst stirring – once gravy starts to thicken – cook for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat. (You may add more water for a thinner consistency). Allow to cool before blitzing in a blender to form nice thick gravy.   Add the balsamic vinegar; give it a stir and you good to go….yummy!