Deliciously Ella’s Perfect Sunday Lunch

Feasting with friends is one of the best things you can do in life, almost nothing makes me happier than sharing mountains of beautiful food with the people I love most, and that’s what this book is all about. I hope it will help you find ways to enjoy the kind of food you love with others, so that you can all eat together and they’ll see how delicious nutritious food can be. You can see the nut roast recipe by clicking on the link in the menu!

SUNDAY LUNCH MENU
Herbed Nut Roast
Maple Roasted Root Veg
Mushroom Gravy

Maple Roast Root Veg
A really simple recipe, but this is the best addition to your Sunday lunch. Maple syrup brings out the natural sweetness of the veggies, while the paprika, cayenne and rosemary add a whole new level of flavour. The veg become so sweet and tender when baked like this, so everyone will love them! If you’re not ready to go full veggie and serve these with a nut loaf, then try adding them to a conventional roast instead; it’s a great way to start getting your friends and family excited about plant-based meals.

Serves 4–6
NUT-FREE

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
4 carrots, peeled
4 parsnips, peeled
olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C).

Cut the sweet potatoes into equal-sized wedges and halve the carrots and parsnips lengthways. Place in a large baking tray in a single layer, or spread them over 2 trays.Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then sprinkle the paprika and cayenne over. Toss everything together, then tuck the rosemary into the veg and season to taste.

Roast for 60 minutes, turning once or twice in that time. When they’re finished cooking, the veg should be golden and sticky, with edges that are slightly crisp… delicious!

Mushroom Gravy
The mushrooms and tamari give deeply savoury flavours to this gravy. Sharpened with a little mustard and made aromatic with tarragon, it makes Sunday lunch a real treat. If you like lots of gravy, double the quantities here

Ingredients
10g dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil, more if needed
150g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed salt and pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon tamari

Method
Put the dried porcini in a bowl with 500ml of boiling water and soak for at least 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and let them colour on both sides, then reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and season. (If the pan is dry, add a bit more oil.) Keep the garlic moving so it doesn’t brown, or it will be bitter.Remove the porcini from their water, finely chop and add to the pan, reserving the water.

Once the garlic is translucent, add the tarragon, 400ml of the mushroom water (avoiding any grit from the bottom of the bowl) and the mustard. Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of water to a paste, add to the pan and let simmer for 5–10 minutes until it has a nice consistency. Add the tamari. Serve with the nut roast!

Recipe extracted from Deliciously Ella with Friends by Ella Mills, published by Yellow Kite, £25

Photography by Clare Winfield