VEGAN HAGGIS

[Latest version at the foot of this post] [And here's the haggis en croute I had for the last two Christmases - and I shall be having again this time]

Don’t know why it took me so long to get around to making my own version of a veggie haggis. I found it very simple - similar to making a nut roast, and I’ve made a few of those.

I looked at a few recipes on the BBC Food board and on the net – and just used what I had in the cupboard. None of these amounts, it seems to me, are set in stone – play around with them as you will:

Ingredients:

Olive oil

An onion, finely chopped

Large carrot, finely chopped

Some mushrooms, finely chopped

100g red lentils

Around 500ml vegetable stock

200g or so cooked red kidney beans

50g chopped, mixed nuts

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Good splash of red wine

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

Pinch cayenne pepper

200g porridge oats

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Fry the onion and carrot in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the lentils and the stock

When the lentils are cooked add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, adding extra liquid if necessary.

Turn the mixture into a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake for 45-60 minutes at 190°C, 375°F or Gas Mark 5.

I had it with a spicy tomato sauce, roast potatoes and veg.

This made enough for 3 good meals. Divide what’s left into two (say) and get it in the freezer quickly. (I found it very hard not to keep picking at it while it was lying around in the kitchen!)

I’ll certainly make this again – and I won’t be buying McSweens haggis at £4.30 again – although I might be tempted by Hall’s haggis at £1.50 when next they become available (around Burns’ night!).

Next time I’ll:
Include celery and possibly cabbage;

Include more mushrooms;
Increase the amount of red kidney beans – or add a similar amount of other beans, such as black-eyed beans or butter beans;

Add more cayenne pepper

Make a bigger one!


Here's the last third, just defrosted:

13th November 2011.
Made this again today, using less porridge oats and reducing the stock:

Ingredients:

Onion, celery, pepper, mushroom and carrot – all chopped small

100g of lentils cooked in 300g water

200g vegetable stock

2 dsps each mushroom sauce and vegan Worcester sauce

1 dsp tomato puree

50g chopped, sweet chestnuts

240g red kidney beans
Half a dozen s-d-tomatoes, chopped

50g chopped nuts (which I ground in my spice mill)

100g porridge oats

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 dessertspoons nutritional yeast

Herbs and spices to taste

Method:

Gently fry the onions, etc, for 5-10 minutes. 

Cook the lentils and add the stock, mushroom and Worcester sauce, tomato puree and herbs, then stir in the fried vegetables, nuts, chestnuts, beans, s-d-tomatoes and the porridge oats and stir thoroughly. At this stage I generally taste the mix and adjust the flavour if need be.

I omitted the simmering stage and put the mix straight into loaf tins, lined with baking parchment.

Cook for about 45-50 minutes at 190C 

I had some for dinner tonight and there's over 800g of it left - probably another 5 or so meals, I reckon!