Vegetable Wellington

This Vegetable Wellington is one of my favorite holiday and/or party dishes. There are a few steps to complete it, but it is not only super yummy but also very beautiful.

Equipment Needed

1-2 Sauté pans, 1 with cover

Pastry brush

Food Processor

Strainer

1-2 Bowls

Rubber Spatula

2-Roasting/baking pans

Parchment paper or aluminum foil

Ingredients

One large onion

1 lb. mixed mushrooms (I use shiitake, oyster, and crimini)

8oz. baby spinach

1 small butternut squash

1 cup orange lentils

1 cup wild rice

1 14oz. firm tofu

½ cup chopped assorted fresh herbs (I use sage, thyme, parsley & tarragon)

1 egg

1 box puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm is the most common trusted brand)

Olive oil

Maple syrup

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-Preparation:

Puff Pastry

At the store, puff pastry is usually found in the freezer in a package with two sheets inside (the most common is Pepperidge Farms). Defrost the package and lay the dough on a sheet pan in preparation for baking.

Egg Wash

Take one egg and whisk it smooth. Set aside with a pastry brush, which you will use when baking.

Onions

Cut the onion into ¼" dice, divide in 2, and set aside. Sauté half of the onions in olive oil until translucent (just done before turning color), then set aside. The remainder will be cooked with mushrooms.

Fresh Herbs

Take one handful of each fresh herb, de-stem them, and chop them into a fine mixture. Set aside.

Tofu and Butternut Marinade

Make a marinade for the squash and tofu by taking 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil and whisking in 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Add some chopped fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Preparing Tofu

Take tofu "firm" from the container and divide it into six slices. Place slices on paper or cloth towels, cover with additional towels, place a weight on them (like a plate), and let drain and dry for 20 minutes.  Rub the tofu generously with the marinade, place slices on an oiled baking pan, season with salt and pepper, bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes, remove from oven, and let cool. Once cooled, you will dice it into ¼" dice and set it aside.

Preparing Butternut Squash

Peel a small butternut squash, remove seeds, and cut it into 1" evenly sized slices. Rub with some of the above marinade and bake in a 375 oven for 30-45 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook because you want them to hold their shape when you cut into 1/4" dice. At the 30-minute point, take a knife and test for doneness; if the knife quickly goes into squash, then take it out of the oven and cool.  It should be firm but not soft, and if you feel it is overcooked, immediately remove it from the hot pan and let it cool. Once cool, cut into ¼" dice, knowing quantities are imperfect, so there might be some extra.

Preparing the Orange Lentils

Place one cup of lentils in four cups of water with a bit of salt and bring to a boil; let simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, and then check for doneness if you are looking for a product that has not lost its shape and is referred to as al dente (to the tooth), strain and put on a baking or sheet pan to cool.

Preparing the Wild Rice

Place 1 cup of wild rice in 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, then check to ensure sufficient water is in the pot. You can tell when this is done when the grains start to expand, puff up, and open. Once done, strain and set aside to cool.

Preparing Mushrooms

Remove stems from assorted mushrooms and cut ½ of them into ¼" dice and set aside.  The remainder you can "rough" chop for making the puree later, set aside.

Next, sauté the ¼" diced mushrooms in olive oil for 2-3 minutes, season, and cook until just done; you do not want them to lose shape. Set aside to cool.

Next, in the pan with a cover, heat four tablespoons of olive oil, add the remaining onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until the onions change color.  Next, add the rough-cut mushrooms and continue cooking for 3 minutes, and then add 1 cup of either vegetable stock or water to assist in cooking.  Bring back to a simmer and cover.  Continually check for enough liquid; be prepared to add another ½ - 1 cup of liquid if it seems too dry.  After 5-10 minutes, remove the cover, allowing the excess liquid to evaporate; ultimately, you want this mixture to be pretty dry, but be careful not to burn it once this mixture is on the dry side and deeply colored, cool and process in the food processor, puree, set aside.

Preparing the Spinach

Quickly sauté the spinach in a pot or pan, season, turn the heat off, and then cover until finished. When you sauté greens (especially spinach), the goal is to get them hot so they steam but do not cook long enough that all the water comes out. Once done, place it in a strainer, let the liquid drain, and once cool, put it in a towel and squeeze the excess water out. Once dry, place it in the food processor and chop it finely, setting aside.

Finishing the Wellington for Baking:

This is not an exact science; you might have more than one item you think you might need (mainly rice and beans), so use your judgment when making the final mixture and check the seasoning.  You want the mixture to be moist but not too wet.  When you bake the Wellington, you are not cooking the mixture but baking the pastry dough in a golden brown.  It can be prepared earlier in the day and reheated, but DO NOT bake and refrigerate; it will be tough.

Combine the cooked onions, mushrooms, spinach, lentils, wild rice, butternut squash, herbs, and tofu. Add the mushroom and onion puree, remembering not to make the mixture too wet. If it is too wet, put it back in a towel to dry or drain it. The finished product should be moist but not runny.

Egg wash and puff pastry sheets are at room temperature (the box contains two sheets) and 10"x 15" in size. I would use both sheets, cutting them in half to create four 10 “x 7.5" pieces. 

Place the cut piece of puff pastry dough on a cutting board or piece of parchment paper.  Put enough of the mixtures in the middle of the dough from the 10" side to roll them up, leaving about 1" of space at each edge so you can seal the edges.  Roll the Wellington into a log and use the egg wash to seal the 10" side, then fold the outer ends in, egg washing and sealing the sides.  Place the four finished Wellingtons on a baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, brush with egg wash, and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes; keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

Let cool, store in a warm place, and when ready to serve, reheat and then slice with a bread knife.