Chestnut Bake

The chestnut purée gives a delicious flavor and texture to this healthy dish.

Vegan. Hands-on time: 10 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Contributed by Moira Adams (March 2003).

A can of whole chestnuts or unsweetened chestnut purée is an excellent store-cupboard item. Chestnuts are high in protein and low in fat, and add a distinctive flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. In this recipe, the purée goes particularly well with the vegetables to produce an excellent light dinner dish for four. You can do most of the preparation ahead of time, leaving just the final baking to the end.

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cups (8 oz, 225 g) sliced mushrooms
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• Fresh or dried herbs to taste (thyme, sage or parsley - whatever you have to hand)
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• One 12 oz (320 g) can of unsweetened chestnut purée
• ½ cup (4 fl oz, 120 ml) vegetable stock or water

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 350F (180C)

Lightly fry the onion in the oil until soft - about five minutes,

Add the mushrooms, carrots and celery. Cook for a further five minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients. Transfer to an oven-proof dish. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.