A Nutroast Tribute

It was some weeks into Autumn this year before we looked at each other and realised Summer had ended, before it seemed the threat of bushfires was well and truly over, before I started to appreciate the excellent apples that had come into season.

Daylight savings ended last weekend and the nights are suddenly much darker. Zinc heads out much earlier now but isn’t so interested in spending long in the outdoors in the cooler evenings. It is perfect weather to light the oven and cook food to warm the belly. For me, one of the most comforting meals is a roast dinner.

Unfortunately, like the seasons, some bloggers come and go. It had been a long time between roast dinners and so I decided to make a nutroast. I remembered a fine nutroast made by LisaRene of Little Bits blog last year when I held my Neb at Nutroast Event. When I looked up the link, I was sad to see that LisaRene’s blog had ceased to exist. All her wonderful recipes had disappeared into the ether. (Please come back LisaRene.)

All that I had of her nutroast was the description of the Pistachio, Cashew and Spinach Nutroast in the roundup. So I was forced to attempt to recreate a nut roast that I had never tasted. She didn’t eat eggs but was a cheese fiend so my nut roast was egg free and cheesy to keep her spirit alive in the recipe. It was a good excuse to finally use up some pistachio nuts my mum had given me. Tofu and spinach were also included with a nod to LisaRene. I was going to add millet flakes but the mixture seemed to hold together well enough without them.

The resulting nutroast was delicious and flavoursome. It was a little on the crumbly side. Not the sort you could slice up thinly for sandwiches like my Christmas nutloaf. It was quite soft and moist, a it like a pate. We ate it with roast potatoes and pumpkin, peas and – because I didn’t quite have enough energy and time to make a sauce – I used some carrot miso soup as a sauce, which worked fantastically. It was a wonderful dinner. Good for the soul! Thanks LisaRene!

Tofu and Spinach Nutroast
Serves 4 – 6

⅓ cup pistachios
⅔ cup unsalted roasted cashews
⅓ cup smoked almonds
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
6 button mushrooms, finely chopped
150g baby spinach, finely chopped
250g firm tofu, crumbled
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
100g gouda cheese, grated
black pepper

Grind nuts together in food processor.

Fry onion and garlic for about 3 minutes over low heat.

Place nuts, onion mixture and remaining ingredients together in mixing bowl and mix to combine.

Press mixture into greased and lined loaf tin (mine is 13 x 22cm). Bake at 200 C for about 45 minutes. It will still feel a little soft to touch when cooked but you can leave it in longer to become more crisp on the outside (or turn out onto ovenproof serving dish and return to oven for even crispier edges).

On the stereo:
Adagio Mahler