Bethany's Vegan Kitchen

These tasty, nutty, slightly sweet chestnuts are really easy to make, and brilliant to snack on. You can also use them in other dishes, such as soups, stir fries or sauces. I’ve found this way of preparing the chestnuts makes the skins easier to peel. Also, it’s best to peel them all while they’re still warm, instead of leaving them to cool fully. I love snacking on these while they’re still warm, especially with a little pinch of salt over them. I find these have a much better texture and flavour compared to the pre-cooked ones you can buy from shops

You’ll need:

1. 400g chestnuts

Method:

• Slice an X into the rounded end of each chestnut. Be very careful as you do this, I found that using a serrated knife was best for this task
• Pop the chestnuts into a bowl and cover them with cold water. Leave them to soak overnight, then discard the water and pat them dry
• Place the chestnuts into an air fryer basket in an even single layer. Roast at 200°C for 15 minutes. You’ll know when they’re done, as the skins will pop open, the pale flesh of the nut will be visible and they will smell toasted
• Once cooked, tip the chestnuts out into a towel. Then bring the edges of the towel together, wrapping up the chestnuts and allowing them to steam for ten minutes
• Finally, peel all the chestnuts and discard the skins

Roasted Chestnut Bolognese

This hearty bolognese uses a mixture of meat-free mince and finely diced roasted chestnuts. The roasted chestnuts give this a wonderful flavour and texture, simply stir the bolognese through cooked pasta and then serve. I chose to use TVP (also known as soya protein) for the meat-free mince for this. It’s cheap and easy to use, but feel free to use any meat-free mince you like. Also, please see the guide above for how to roast chestnuts

You’ll need:

1. One tablespoon of oil
2. One stick of celery (roughly 100g), diced
3. One small carrot (roughly 100g), diced
4. One small brown onion (roughly 125g), diced
5. Two cloves of garlic, minced
6. 75g mushrooms, diced
7. 100g finely diced roasted chestnuts
8. 200g meat free mince, I used TVP
9. Two x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
10. Half a teaspoon of both dried basil and dried oregano
11. Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Begin by heating the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once it’s warmed up, add in the celery, carrot and onion. Give them five minutes to soften
• Next, add in the garlic and give it a couple of minutes to cook. Then add in the mushroom and chestnuts. Give everything another ten minutes to cook, stirring every now and then
• Then add in the mince, tomato and herbs, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Give everything a good mix to combine and allow the bolognese to gently simmer uncovered for 15 minutes
• Finally stir the bolognese through cooked spaghetti and then serve

This meal would be ideal to warm up with on a chilly winter day. You can serve it topped with fresh basil, as pictured, or with grated dairy-free cheese

Chocolate and Chestnut Mousse

These truly indulgent desserts are simple and easy to make, and taste fantastic. You can whip these up the day before you plan to serve them, so they’re handy to make ahead of time too. The chestnuts add a wonderful nuttiness to this mousse

You’ll need:

1. 300g silken tofu
2. 200g dairy-free chocolate, melted
3. 100g roasted chestnuts, see above for how to roast chestnuts
4. 60g golden syrup
5. A pinch of salt

Method:

• Start by adding the silken tofu, chestnuts, golden syrup and a pinch of salt into a high powered blender. Then add the melted chocolate and blend
• Keep blending until you achieve a smooth, silky consistency. Then pour the mousse out into six small dishes. Pop the dishes in the fridge and leave to set overnight

I chose not to decorate the top of the mousse, but if you wanted to add a little more of a wow factor you absolutely could. You could pipe fresh dairy-free cream on top, or top with crushed biscuits or fresh fruit, anything you like