Parsnip, Chickpea and Apricot Nut Roast

A modern take on the nut roast, this makes a great vegan/vegetarian centrepiece for Christmas Day or a special dinner. Found this recipe on Tesco magazine and decided to give this recipe a try. To my surprise, it's amazing and truly delicious!

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 900g parsnip, peeled and trimmed
• 1 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 10g fresh thyme, leaves picked, plus extra springs for garnish
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp milled flax seeds
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained
• 100g ground almond
• 200g ready-to-eat dried apricots, finely chopped
• 75g walnut or pecan halves, chopped
• 15g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 190ºC/170ºC for fan assist oven. Generously grease a 900g/2lb nonstick loaf tin with 1 tbsp oil. Peel 2 parsnips (about 200g) into wide ribbons with a peeler, then overlap the ribbons across the base and long sides of the tin to line it, leaving any excess hanging over the sides of the tin. Set aside.

Cut the remaining parsnips into 4cm pieces and toss with 2 tbsp oil on a baking tray. Spread out in a single layer, season and roast for 25-30 minutes until soft to the point of  knife.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 7-8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, thyme and paprika and cook for 2 minutes more.

In a large bowl, mix the flax seeds with the tahini, lemon zest and juice, and 3 tbsp warm water. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to plump up.

Tip the onion mixture into the bowl of a food processor with the chickpeas, ground almond and half of the roasted parsnips. Pulse to a coarse puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add to the flax mixture, along with the remaining roasted parsnips, the apricots, nuts and parsley. Season and stir well to combine.

Spoon into the prepared tin, pressing down firmly and evenly. Bring any overhanging parsnip ribbons over to cover the top. Cover the entire loaf with foil and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 15-20 minutes more until golden and firm. Rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a serving dish. Top  with thyme sprigs to serve.