White Christmas Nutmeat - A Vegetarian Christmas Dish

My darling husband became a vegetarian a year or so after we met, twenty five years ago. And for most of the intervening Christmases, this recipe is the one he asks for! It is only once a year that I make it, so it's special for him! It is delicately favoured which makes it go very well with all the traditional accompaniments which we have at our Christmas meal, such as roast potatoes and bread sauce.

I got this recipe from a leaflet I found in a health food store in Harrow, London in 1984.{g} Rose Elliot's recipes were a blessing to me in the 1970's and 80's.

Rose Elliot's White Christmas Nutmeat

Ingredients

nutmeat
1 oz/30g butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 lb/500g finely chopped white nuts (I use unsalted cashews, flaked almonds and pine-nuts, mixed)
8 oz white breadcrumbs (cut off the crusts so you get a nice white nutmeat)
1 pint/600ml light vegetable stock or milk

2 heaped tablespoons flour
salt and white pepper

a little grated nutmeg

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1-2 egg whites (optional)

Stuffing

6oz/175g wholewheat breadcrumbs

3oz butter,

1 small grated onion,

4-6 heaped tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley

grated rind of 1 lemon

1 heaped teaspoon mixed herbs.

1-2 egg yolks (optional)

Heat oven to 190C/375F or gas mark 5.

Grease, line with baking paper and grease again, a 2lb loaf tin (or 2 1lb tins). Melt the butter and fry your chopped onion in this until tender but not brown (about 10 mins). Remove from the heat. Sprinkle in the four.

Grind nuts in food processor with bread, add to the onion with stock. Mix well. Season to taste. Set aside.

For the stuffing, mix together the ingredients. Put half of your nut mixture in the loaf tin and even it out. Layer your stuffing on top. Firm it as you go. Then finish with the remaining nut mixture.

Dot with butter. Lay a small sheet of baking paper over the top to help prevent scorching during baking. Bake for approx 60 mins but check after 40 mins or so that it's not scorching, until just light brown.

Leave to cool for a couple of minutes then turn out. Peel off the lining paper carefully and turn out onto a warmed plate.

I make this in advance and it freezes well. In fact, I usually save half for Jamie's birthday in January and it's fine then.