This is a great special event dish that you can take to parties or celebrations. I've found that most people love it and don't realise it's vegan. Because it contains nuts you may need to label it if you're taking it to a pot luck or party.
Ingredients
1 cob loaf (preferably wholemeal)
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
350g frozen spinach, thawed (see tips)
5 spring onions, finely sliced
Cashew dip filling
1 cup (150g) raw cashews
½ cup (125ml) soy milk
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
Cut 4cm off the top of cob loaf to form lid. Using a sharp serrated knifge, cut a circle around the circumference of the loaf, leaving a 2cm border around the outside and at the bottom of the loaf. Pull chunks of bread from the middle of loaf, leaving the 2cm border around the edge intact. Tear the bread into bite size pieces and set aside.
Place the onion and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until soft (add a little more water if the onion starts to stick). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Squeeze the excess moisture out of the thawed spinach, discarding the liquid. Add the spinach to the onion.
Place the cashew dip ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth.
Add to the spinach mixture and stir to coat spinach with the cashew mixture. Stir in the spring onion.
Spoon the spinach mixture into the loaf. Top with the lid. Place on an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and arrange the torn bread pieces in a single layer around the loaf. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
Serve the loaf on a platter surrounded with the torn bread pieces.
Thermomix Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
Cut 4cm off the top of cob loaf to form lid. Using a sharp serrated knifge, cut a circle around the circumference of the loaf, leaving a 2cm border around the outside and at the bottom of the loaf. Pull chunks of bread from the middle of loaf, leaving the 2cm border around the edge intact. Tear the bread into bite size pieces and set aside.
Place the onion and garlic into the Thermomix bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cook 5 minutes/100ºC/speed 1. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Squeeze the excess moisture out of the thawed spinach, discarding the liquid. Add the spinach to the onion.
Place the cashew dip ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and blend 1 minute/speed 10.
Add the dip to the spinach mixture and stir to coat spinach with the cashew mixture. Stir in the spring onion.
Spoon the spinach mixture into the loaf. Top with the lid. Place on an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and arrange the torn bread pieces in a single layer around the loaf. Bake for a further 5 minutes.