Vegetarian mains
Chickpea & spinach sausage roll with pear salad
The trick here is in getting the perfect texture to the chickpea filling. This is why we blanch and squeeze the spinach, so as to avoid it adding water to the mix. The chickpeas and the sheep’s cheese both hold moisture well but also act as binders. You should be able to mould the mix easily without it being too loose or stiff. The cooler the mix is, the easier it is to handle and roll the pastry into a sausage roll. Let it cool for as long as you can.
Cook's notes
To make this vegan omit the cheese or use a vegan alternative; brush the pastry lightly with oil rather than egg
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- light olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tomatoes
- ½ tbsp harissa
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tin chickpeas
- 200g spinach
- 1 egg
- 75g Wootton white sheep's cheese
- 1 pack puff pastry
- 50g salad pack
- 1 large beetroot
- 1 pear
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 30g seed mix
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the spinach. Peel and finely dice the red onion. Start to cook the filling by heating 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and fry the onion gently for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
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Step 2
Meanwhile peel and finely chop or crush 1 garlic clove. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Drain the chickpeas. Add the garlic, tomatoes, harissa, garam masala and chickpeas to the onions. Add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of water. Heat gently for 4-5 minutes while you deal with the spinach.
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Step 3
Wash the spinach leaves well. Blanch them in the pan of boiling water for about 30 seconds until wilted. Drain and cover them in cold water to stop the cooking process. Finish off the filling by giving the chickpeas a bash in the pan with a wooden spoon or potato masher until partially broken up. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down slightly for 5-10 minutes (see cook's notes).
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Step 4
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Drain the cooled spinach and squeeze out as much excess water as you can with your hands.
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Step 5
Roughly chop the squeezed spinach. Break open the egg and whisk it well with a fork. Add the spinach to the chickpea mix and crumble in the sheep's cheese. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. You should have a firm mixture that can easily hold its shape.
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Step 6
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Halve it into equally sized rectangles. Divide the mix equally between them. Form the mix into a sausage shape down the centre of each. Roll the pastry over to make a classic sausage roll.Place your sausage rolls on the baking tray.
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Step 7
Brush them with the egg wash. Lightly score the tops. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and risen. While the sausage rolls cook, wash and dry the salad leaves. Peel and grate the beetroot. Wash the pear, cut out the core and dice into ½cm pieces.
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Step 8
Mix the salad leaves, grated beetroot, diced pear and seed mix together with the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the hot sausage rolls with the salad.