Satisfy your family’s tastebuds with this amazing Christmas centrepiece.
Serves 6-8
350g (12oz) pastry mix
1 onion, finely chopped
225g (8oz) spinach
150g (¼ or 6oz) pumpkin, sliced into small pieces (you can use pumpkin puree instead)
100g (4oz) roasted hazelnuts, finely ground*
100g (4oz) ground almonds
100g (4oz) breadcrumbs
50g (2oz) sultanas
150ml (¼ pint) water
225g (8oz) cranberries
175g (6oz) sugar
1tsp rosemary
1tsp marjoram
1tsp thyme
1tsp shoyu soya sauce
2 tbsp tahini
300ml (½ pint) vegetable stock
soya milk to glaze
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4
1 Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and marjoram. Bake at 180°C/Gas 4 for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Increase oven temperature to 220°C/Gas 7.
2 Fry the onion until soft. Add the spinach and fry for a further 3 minutes.
3 Add the nuts, breadcrumbs, thyme and rosemary. Mix in the tahini and shoyu and some stock for a moist texture. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
4 Put the sultanas, water, cranberries and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook, cover with a lid until the cranberries pop (about 5-10 minutes), then remove from the heat.
5 Make a shortcrust pastry from the mix. Once it is kneaded, press two thirds into an 8 inch dish.
6 Create a base layer of pumpkin slices. Build a second layer with the hazelnut and spinach, and pour on the cranberry filling.
7 Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid for the pie. Moisten the edges with soya milk and place the lid on top of the filling, pressing the lid and shell of the pastry together.
8 Make a hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape and glaze with the soya milk.
9 Bake on a high shelf at 220°C/Gas 7 for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190°C/Gas 5 and continue to bake for 50 minutes.
Alternatively go for a ‘Turkey Style’ Roast with Wild Cranberry Stuffing
*If you buy whole hazelnuts in their shells here’s some information on roasting hazelnuts.
