Festive Sweet Potato and Lentil Roast

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Rinse the lentils. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over a high heat. Once boiling, add the lentils, cover and cook on medium heat for 13-15 min until they are cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Strip the thyme leaves. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Peel and finely chop the onions. Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the onions, sweet potatoes, paprika powder, garlic powder, vegetable seasoning, and cook for 2-3 min. Add half the thyme leaves, (reserving the rest for the mushroom sauce) and the measured water. Cover with a lid, and cook for 8-10 min until the sweet potatoes have softened.

Chop half the sage leaves. To a food processor, add the pecan and panko and pulse the mixture until finely chopped. Add the cooked sweet potatoes, lentils, and half the sage leaves. Pulse the mixture 6-8 times until they're mostly mashed, with some chunks remaining. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and mix in a good drizzle of olive oil.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop the mixture onto the tray and form the lentil loafs into approx 9-10cm long rectangular shapes onto the baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20-25 min until browned and crispy on the edges.

Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms with a cloth, knife or brush (don't wash them with water). Finely slice the mushrooms. Heat a pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. Add the remaining sage and fry until crispy. Set aside. To the same pan, add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and fry for 6-7 min or until browned. Mix in 0.5 mushroom stock, onion marmalade, plant based cream, reserved thyme, and measured water. Cook until thickened.

Meanwhile, halve the pomegranate, hold each half over a large bowl, seeds facing down. Hit the skin with a wooden spoon, squeezing to release the seeds. Discard the shell and membrane. Slice the nut loaf into pieces, and garnish with the sage and pomegranate kernels. Serve with the mushroom gravy.