Serves: 4-5
Time: 45 mins
This year will be not only my 9th year of a meat free Christmas but my 1st ever vegan Christmas, which I am so excited about! My first veggie Christmas my mum and I had stopped eating meat less than a month before, so we got a quorn roast - which we were sorry to say was not a very wise choice at all; since then, the last 7 Christmases have been full of nut roasts, which we managed to perfect over the years, however, this year, being our first cruelty free Christmas I thought I'd change it up a bit - my nan has also agreed to a vegan dinner which I'm really pleased about! So I present to you; chestnut mushroom, chestnut & cranberry Christmas parcels, I tried these out today with a Sunday roast and they were delicious, a perfect balance of flavours, wrapped in a crisp parcel, the perfect main for your festive feast!
 |
| Parcel mixture |
One of the most important things in cooking is getting the balance of flavours right, when the mixture is mostly cooked, taste it and see what it needs - more salt, pepper, herbs etc? It's a skill that will take a while to build up, but when the balance is right, you'll know it and each flavour will perfectly compliment another.
 |
| Filo parcels ready for the oven |
Brushing the parcels with melted butter before cooking will stop them cracking and give a golden brown finish, sealed with a sprig of thyme.
 |
| Mushroom, Chestnut & Cranberry Parcel |
 |
Mushroom, Chestnut & Cranberry Parcel
|
 |
| Mushroom, Chestnut & Cranberry Parcel Served up with Roast Veg |
You'll Need:
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Frying pan
- Wooden spoon
- Small saucepan
- Baking Tray
Ingredients:
- 400g chestnut Mushrooms
- 100g cooked chestnuts
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 red onion
- 1 large clove garlic
- 7 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup cider
- Salt & pepper
- 4-5 sheets filo pastry
- 1.5 tbsp dairy free butter
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C & grease the baking tray with 1/2 tbsp butter.
- Finely chop the onion & garlic and roughly chop the mushrooms, chestnuts and cranberries, add in 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and chopped rosemary, season with salt & pepper, pour over the cider and sautee on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Unroll the pastry and fold over into a large square (approx. 10cm²), spoon 2-3 tbsp of the mixture on into the middle of the pastry. Bring all 4 corners together into the middle of the parcel, twist slightly and press together so it does not fall apart and tie a sprig of thyme around the top, repeat this for 3-4 more parcels.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and brush the parcels all over before baking for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Serve up with your favourite gravy & all the trimmings and thoroughly enjoy!
Merry Christmas! Cassidy xx
