I found this recipe a while back online. I think it’s a Deliciously Ella one, but if not, apologies! I made some changes to amounts but otherwise it got the thumbs up from one and all, even the meat-eating family community.
I have a friend who doesn’t like ‘meanwhile’ recipes, but don’t let the separate components put you off – this recipe is easy!
Three parts to this gem: the pastry, the filling and the cashew creamy mix which sort of holds it together and gives the whole pie a deliciously cheese-like flavour.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
100g gram flour
100g ground almonds
50g corn flour
75g coconuty oil
6 tbsp cold water
freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
For the Filling:
1 red onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
300g butternut squash, peeled and coursely grated
250g pre-cooked (or vacuum packed) chestnuts, halved
220g portabello or chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped (save a big one for decoration)
3 handfuls young spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
olive oil
1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary and lemon or regular thyme
For the Cashew cheese
75g cashew nuts soaked at least 4 hours (easy to do it overnight – if you remember)
3 tsp nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp water
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
Start with the pastry. Mix all the ingredients together with your hands in a bowl – easy, and enjoyable! Roll into a ball, and place in the fridge for c 30 mins to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 180c (fan oven). Press the pastry into a 24cm greased tart dish or tin. Pierce with a ford then bake in the oven until it begins to turn a golden brown, about 15-20 mins.
Meanwhile….
Make the filling.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the sliced onions until they begin to turn translucent, then add the pressed garlic and sliced mushrooms (remember to save a big one, or a couple of small ones for decoratoin). Stir around so they start to become a little limp, then add the grated butternut, the roughly chopped spinach, salt, pepper, herbs, and the lemon juice.
Cook for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile…
Make the cashew cream/cheese, so easy!
Drain the cashews and blend with all the other ingredients. When smooth, stir it in with all the veg that have been in your pan, and then add the halved chestnuts (I’m guessing that if you add them before, the cheesy mix may break them up too much).
Spoon it all into the pastry case, then slice the remaining mushroom (s) and arrange them on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the mushrooms on top look cooked.
A mixed rocket salad alongside made this a delicious and easy meal.