VEGAN CHRISTMAS ROAST DINNER WITH GRAVY

Preheat your oven to 200deg C
Bring 160 ml of water to the boil in a small saucepan
Add 70 gm of white quinoa to the boiling water and cook covered till tender ...about 15 minutes , set aside to cool .
Scoop out the flesh from a large zucchini that has been halved lengthways .
Leave a 1/4 inch border and reserve the flesh from the zucchini .
Scoop the seeds from a whole butternut pumpkin which has been halved lengthways .
Now scoop the flesh from the pumpkin leaving a cavity large enough to fit the zucchini ....reserve the flesh of the pumpkin .
You may need to trim the zucchini to fit inside the pumpkin .
Using a skewer dock the insides of both the zucchini and pumpkin .
Its now time to process the flesh of zucchini and the pumpkin along with 1 small chopped onion and 2 tbs of minced garlic .
Cook this mixture in a pan over a medium heat with a glug of oil .
Add 2 tbs of fresh thyme leaves and the quinoa continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the mixture is tender .Set aside to cool .
Now combine 1 dsp of flaxmeal with 2 tbs of boiling water in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes .
Mix in the quinoa mixture , 35gm of dried cranberries and 35 gm of hazelnut meal .
Press some of the stuffing mixture into the zucchini cavities
 Press 1 small leek ( white part only ) into one half of the zucchini and cover with the other half .
Press remaining stuffing into pumpkin cavities .
Place stuffed zucchini into one half of the pumpkin cavity and cover with the other half .
secure pumpkin together with kitchen string .
Brush the secured pumpkin with a little oil and season to taste .
Wrap in foil and place on a baking tray in the preheated oven .
Roast for 1 and 3/4 hours .
Then remove foil and roast uncovered until slightly browned and tender .
Let sit for 30 minutes while you make the vegan gravy ....
Use 50gm of margarine and heat in a medium saucepan over a low heat .
Add 80 gm of finely chopped onion .
Stir until slightly browned
Add 2 tbs of flour and slowly stir in 2 cups of vegetable stock and 1 tbs of tamari ...


ALTERNATIVELY you can prepare your Christmas pumpkin this way and serve it sliced with your roast meats , potatoes and peas .