Cavolo Nero and Cranberry Christmas Nut Roast

Post in collaboration with Discover Great Veg

Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will love this festive Nut Roast full of flavoursome ingredients. Kale's Italian cousin - Cavolo Nero - brings a marvellous rich, intense and slightly sweet flavour to this Christmas Cavolo Nero and Cranberry Nut Roast.

For many of us Christmas is a time of indulgence. Overindulgence if truth be told. By the time I get to January my body is literally crying out for fruit and vegetables. This year I'm going to try harder for a balance and keep aiming at the five - or is it now ten - a day target, throughout the festive season. For me the easiest way to do this is make sure there is plenty veg on my plate. What were once considered somewhat underrated vegetables really seem to have made a real resurgence of late. Just look at Kale. Once the poor relation of the vegetable patch it is now championed by chefs, health experts and celebrities alike and has become one of the most talked about veggies there is. However it's Kale's exotic Italian cousin that I'm making the hero today. Say Ciao to Cavolo Nero. 

This brilliant brassica, which originated in Italy and is now grown in Lincolnshire has distinctive long, dark green, almost black leaves. Also known as black kale you may find it on sale labelled as either. It has a marvellous rich, intense and slightly sweet flavour and is such a versatile green. Swap it out where you might use regular kale or spinach or let it shine like that star that it is. You'll find it chopped and ready to use in most leading supermarkets. Find out more at www.discovercavolonero.co.uk and on Discover Great Veg Facebook and Instagram.

This dish would work equally well as the vegetarian centrepiece of a Christmas dinner or as a weeknight supper for all. It would also be great sliced up and served as a stuffing alongside Roast Turkey. You could even use the same mixture and roll it into stuffing balls. However it's way too good just to save for Christmas so if it's not Cranberry season just leave them out. Crispy roast potatoes and a delicious gravy work particularly well with Cavolo Nero and Cranberry Christmas Nut Roast. I can recommend this Homemade Vegetarian Gravy from Becca at Amuse Your Bouche or if you fancy a Sierra Leonean twist how about Bintu at Recipe From A Pantry's Peanut Butter Gravy? Or keep it fully festive with Kate at Veggie Desserts Sage Gravy.

Cavolo Nero and Cranberry Christmas Nut Roast

1 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil, plus extra for oiling tin

1 Leek, finely shredded

2 large cloves Garlic, crushed

250g Chestnut Mushrooms, finely chopped

150g Cavolo Nero, shredded

200g Walnut pieces, roughly chopped

100g Wholemeal Breadcrumbs

100g Mixed Seeds (I used Sunflower & Pumpkin)

100g Fresh Cranberries

2 Free Range Eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
Grease a 1.5L (2lbs) loaf tin and line the base with baking paper.
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saute pan and add the Leek, Garlic, Mushrooms and Cavolo Nero. Cook slowly for 5-10 minutes until softened.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped walnuts, breadrumbs, seeds, cranberries, beaten egg and soy sauce. Season well with salt and pepper and stir gently to combine.
Pile the mixture into the loaf tin, pressing it down well. Smooth over the top.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the Cavolo Nero and Cranberry Christmas Nut Roast feels firm.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out.
To serve slice thickly with a sharp knife.

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Disclosure: This is a commissioned post for Discover Great Veg. As always, all views expressed are my own.

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