Mushroom Nut Roast in Puff Pastry

Never having even eaten nut loaf before, let alone having made it, I was a little hesitant to make something for Johanna's roundup of nut roast recipes. I'm a beans and grains kind of vegetarian, preferring my dinners to resemble meat as little as possible. I'm also not accustomed to thinking of nuts as a main dinner feature. But I didn't want to let Johanna down and so turned my attention to coming up with something for her event. Mushrooms were a must, I knew that much, but where to go from there? After browsing through a few recipes, I drafted an idea that incorporated puff pastry. If I was going to try something new, I was going for the total experience this time around.

The result was a wonderful surprise! The mild nuttiness of the quinoa complemented the nuts perfectly, without overpowering the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. I may have used a bit too much puff pastry, but the added flaky crunch was a nice addition. I served it with salad and my simple salsa sauce. A very satisfying meal it was that was very much enjoyed by my sweetie and myself. While nut roast is not likely to become regular fare at Lisa's Kitchen, I do thank Johanna for the occasion to try something I likely would otherwise have avoided.

Mushroom Nut Roast in Puff Pastry

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on April 11, 2008 A seasoned mushroom, quinoa and nut roast wrapped in a golden puff pastry — a beautiful, nourishing and filling centerpiece for vegetarians on special occasions Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/3 cup dried quinoa (1 cyo ciijed) 2 cups nuts, finely chopped (cashews, walnuts, pecans, Brazil, or any preferred combination) 2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds 2/3 to 3/4 cup dried wild mushrooms (porcini, portabello, oyster) 4 to 5 sun-dried tomatoes 14 oz (400 g) package puff pastry 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 6 fresh cremini mushrooms, finely chopped 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon dried oregano juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 3 eggs, beaten + 1 for brushing the pastry sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Soak the quinoa overnight in 2/3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside. Soak the dried mushrooms and the sun-dried tomatoes in two small bowls of hot water for roughly 20 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid, finely chop and set aside. Meanwhile, in an unoiled frying pan, toast the nuts and sesame seeds over low heat for about 5 minutes or until they begin to darken a few shades. Transfer to a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Now add the fresh and dried mushrooms to the pan, raise the heat and cook for another few minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the toasted nuts. Now add the lemon juice to the bowl, along with the quinoa, paprika, cayenne, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Add the salt and pepper, stir and test for seasoning. Add the three beaten eggs, and stir well. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured board until very thin. Line a loaf pan with the rolled out pastry, leaving enough overlap to cover the top of the loaf pan. Spoon the nut mixture into the loaf pan, distributing evenly and pressing down firmly. Beat an egg in small bowl. Brush the puff pastry with the egg and cover loaf with the overlapping pastry. Place a baking sheet over the loaf pan, invert, and remove the loaf pan. Make small slits and holes in the pastry and brush the entire loaf with more of the beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a vegetable dish or salad. Makes 6 to 8 servings