Vegan and Gluten Free
Yesterday I cooked a delicious vegan and gluten free meal for my family using Hejgro Pontack Sauce with Elderberries and the Elderflower Vinegar. See below for the recipe for the tasty Mushroom, Chestnut and Pontack Pies, and look out for a recipe for Apple and Elderflower Sponge pudding!
Check out your local farmers market for exciting mushroom choices!
Hejgro Pontack Sauce with Elderberries is a traditional Victorian recipe revived to celebrate the glory of Elderberries. The Elderberries are cooked over night at a low temperature infusing with the organic onions, spices and apple cider vinegar before being hand pressed and left to mature. It creates a wonderfully simple and subtly fruity, spiced vinegar (or gentleman's sauce) that, in small quantities, adds a lovely depth of flavour to gravy, soups, marinades, dips, salad dressings and other sauces or even smoothies.
These pies are a tasty, healthy treat, and pretty easy to whip up for your loved ones. Hejgro Pontack sauce is such a great addition as Elderberries contain loads of vitamin C and antioxidants which can help boost immunity and aid recovery from those pesky winter colds. It is also made with ginger and spices which add a lovely warm festive feeling to your recipes!
Mushroom, Chestnut and Pontack Pies
Preparation and Cooking time approx 1hr 20 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
200g Shitake Mushrooms
200g Field Mushrooms
400g Cooked Chestnuts
1 large Leek
5 cloves Garlic
Half pint Vegetable Stock
1 Table spoon Pontack Sauce
1 Table spoon Tamari
1 Table spoon Corn Flour
2 Tea spoons Nutritional yeast
Oil
Season with
Salt
Pepper
Maple syrup (If you prefer it a little sweeter)
Pastry of your choice
I used a ready made gluten free and vegan one to save time
Directions
1. Fry thinly sliced leeks in oil until they start to caramelise
2. Add the crushed garlic and fry until it starts to go translucent
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir till they are just cooked through
4. Add the stock and stir
5. Add the Pontack Sauce, salt and/or Tamari and allow to cook for 10 mins
6. Add the corn flour cook for 5 more mins until it thickens
7. Season with salt, pepper and maple syrup to taste
8. Allow to cool a little before adding in Nutritional Yeast and stir through till dissolved
9. Roll out pastry pie lids, cut to size, place on top, crimp against the edges and cut a hole in the middle to allow steam to escape
10. Bake in the oven for approx 30 mins at 200 degrees or until the pie lids are golden brown
Serve with veggies of your choice, roasted parsnips were great... but i would have loved some leafy greens!