Vegetarian "sausage" rolls

Filled with lentils, quinoa and spices, you'll forget about the meat versions of the classic Aussie snag roll pretty fast. #RecipeForLife

• makes

  20

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 125 g raw quinoa
• 225 g cooked brown lentils (tinned is fine) drained and rinsed
• 1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 stick celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 150 g sweet potato, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125 g grated parmesan cheese
• 60 g panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 extra, for brushing
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bunch parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 5 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry  
• sesame seeds, to garnish

Beetroot relish

• 500 g cooked peeled beetroot
• 2 brown onions, quartered and roasted
• 125 ml (½ cup) apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

For the beetroot relish, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring regularly, for 20 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Remove from the heat, check the seasoning and stand until cool. Thin out with extra water to adjust the consistency if desired. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set aside to cool in a large mixing bowl. Add the drained lentils.

Place the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and sweet potato in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetable mixture and cook, stirring regularly for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the spices and stir for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the quinoa and lentils. Add the parmesan and breadcrumbs and stir to combine well. Set aside to cool.

Add the 2 lightly beaten eggs, then add to the cooled vegetable mixture with the tomato paste and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper and combine well. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a wide plain nozzle. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Working with one sheet of pastry at a time, cut each sheet into four 12 cm squares. Pipe a line of filling along the centre of each square (about 70 g). Brush the edges with the remaining beaten egg and roll up firmly. Place, seam-side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper, then  brush with more egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining pastry, filling and seeds. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve hot with the beetroot relish. 

Shane Delia's Recipe For Life airs 8pm, Thursdays on SBS and then on SBS On Demand. You can find the recipes and more features from the show here. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.