This Hemp Seed, Walnut and Roasted Butternut Squash Festive CBD  Roast makes the perfect centrepiece for your vegetarian or vegan Christmas lunch.

Christmas can often be difficult as a vegan or vegetarian, especially if you are with a large group that has a more traditional meal! Don’t worry though, we are here to make sure that you have an exciting main dish that is full of festive flavour and can still achieve that wow factor.

This is easy to make, packed with vegetables and is vegan and gluten-free with an added CBD bonus. It also makes a beautiful centrepiece at a Christmas dinner table surrounded by family and friends. It can even be sliced and saved as infamous Christmas leftovers!

Ingredients

• 500g butternut squash (peeled and chopped with no seeds)
• Hemp oil
• 4 drops of CBD
• 1 tsp dried rosemary or 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (preferred)
• 6 roughly chopped fresh sage
• 1 red onion, small diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• Handful of walnuts, small dice
• 1 tsp each: dried/fresh thyme, dried/fresh rosemary
• 50g hemp seeds
• ½ tsp ground smoked paprika
• 150g pre-cooked chestnuts, chopped
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1 tin chick peas (drained weight 240g)
• 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• Salt and black pepper

To serve: Toasted whole walnuts, fresh greens, and gravy

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200*C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place the butternut squash cubes with some hemp oil, salt and black pepper and 1 tsp dried/fresh rosemary in the tray. Roast for 30 minutes until tender. Remove the squash and reduce the oven to 180*C and line a round tin with baking paper.

Step 2

Whilst the squash is in the oven, heat some hemp oil and a couple of drops off CBD in a frying pan and add the red onion and garlic and fry for 10 minutes. Add the Walnuts and red pepper and fry for another 10 minutes until soft. Now add the dried and fresh herbs, smoked paprika, chestnuts and cranberries and cook for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

Add the squash cubes to a food processor and blend to a chunky paste leaving a few pieces to decorate. Add in the drained chickpeas and tamari soy sauce and blend again until combined. If you don’t have a processor, you can do this by smashing together with a potato masher or strong fork.

Step 4

Pour the wet mixture into the mixing bowl with your onion mixture and stir together with the buckwheat flour and hemp seeds until sticky. Transfer to the lined round tin, smooth over the top and press down to ensure the mixture is compact. Roast for 45-55 minutes.

Step 5

While you’re waiting, pan fry some whole walnuts and add another couple of drops of CBD oil. Add walnuts and the remaining butternut squash pieces to the top of the nut roast too decorate and serve to happy friends and family.