19 Dec Festive Roast Butternut (With Stuffing) & a Date, Sage & Orange Glaze

Stuffed butternut is the veggie hero invited to completely knock the Christmas stockings off the wall! Perfect for your family meal without the meat.

For the buckwheat stuffing:

Ingredients

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• ½ red apple
• 1 white onion
• 4 celery stalks
• 3 tbsp cranberries
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• ½ cup veg stock
• 1 cup cooked buckwheat
• 1 tbsp flax egg (1t bsp ground flax with water)
• 1 can aquafaba (from the cannellini beans used in the mash)
• ½ cup sunflower seed flour
• Salt and pepper

Method

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1. Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 190ºC.
2. While it heats, chop the onion, apple and celery into small chunks. Add to a cast iron skillet or large frying pan with the cranberries, spices and coconut oil.
3. Next, sauté until soft and tender, then add in the vegetable stock, flax egg, aquafaba, sunflower seed flour (just blend raw sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor until fine) and cooked buckwheat.
4. When you’re ready, bake in a cast iron skillet or baking dish at 190ºC for 30-45min or until golden brown and crispy on top.
5. Lastly, set aside and prepare butternut to stuff or enjoy as a side dish.

For the ROAST BUTTERNUT and DATE, SAGE & ORANGE GLAZE

Ingredients:

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• 2 whole butternuts
• 1 cup vegan stuffing
• 1 orange (sliced thinly)
• Handful fresh thyme or sage leaves
• String & scissors

Glaze

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• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 tbsp Silan date syrup
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch Salt

Method

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1. Firstly, pre-cook the butternuts on 180ºC for 20min.
2. Then, allow to cool before slicing them in half length-ways.
3. Once halved, hollow out and keep filling and seeds aside (try to separate the seeds).
4. Afterwards, make the glaze by adding all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
5. Then,in a frying pan or shallow pot, add the hollowed-out butternut pieces with a few tbsp of the glaze and allow to cook until soft.
6. Once ready, mix the cooked butternut with the vegan stuffing and stuff all four halves until full. Then tie together the two halves with string – you can add a few orange slices and sprigs of thyme on top before tying together.
7. Then glaze the outside of the butternuts well.
8. Roast at 200ºC for 20min or until golden and soft.
9. Lastly, enjoy your stuffed butternut wonderland!

Canellini Bean & Cauliflower Mash

https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/blog/boxing-day-bliss-bowl/