My best friend is coming to visit this weekend and I cannot tell you how excited I am! It came as a complete surprise when she contacted me via text message yesterday to say she is in the country and wanted to fly up to Brisbane so we could have some time together.
It’s been a couple of years since we last saw each other, and then it was another couple of years before that, due to the fact she now lives overseas, but we have one of those friendships that when we are together it’s like no time at all has passed. There are friends that come in and out of your life, but then, on those rare occasions, there are those wonderful people you meet that you know you will be friends with for life, and she is most definitely one of those friends. Each time we get together we spend hours chatting about everything and nothing, talking about food, cooking, our latest favourite cookbooks, our new favourite shade of red lipstick and fashion. Just as with my fiance, she’s one of those people I can be completely myself with.
When we met we bonded over a shared love of clothing by a particular Australian clothing designer called Alannah Hill. From there we discovered other shared loves of which food was yet another. Each time we caught up we would flit from place to place as we enjoyed a progressive dinner of sorts all over Sydney. We’d start at one place for cocktails, then we’d go to a restaurant for dinner, sometimes somewhere else for dessert and then yet another bar for cocktails afterwards. Yes, those nights were alcohol fuelled but so much fun!
I’ve mentioned my dear friend before here, recounting the day she delivered handmade truffles to me while I was having a particularly stressful day at work. We always loved giving each other special gifts and would be on the look out for things we knew the other would love. I remember one particular time when I’d come across an adorable necklace with two red crystal cherries on the pendant. I just knew it was for her so I bought it and planned to give it to her the next time I was in Sydney, which I did. When she opened the box and saw the necklace she became tearful and explained that it was absolutely perfectly her and it showed exactly how well we knew one another.
Luckily her husband and my fiance get along fantastically too, so while we catch up while the guys chat about, well, guy things! And no doubt we will all talk about Troy’s and my engagement seeing as we got engaged since we last saw our friends. I’m sure there will be drinks to celebrate, and this is where my Mushroom and Lentil Rolls come in. They are type of vegetarian sausage roll and the perfect thing to enjoy with a couple of drinks or cocktails while you catch up with friends. You can prepare and cook them in advance and simply reheat as your guests arrive. Serve with your favourite sauce or chutney!
- 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, lightly thawed
- ½ cup of French lentils
- 2 cups of vegetable stock
- 400g of mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbs of olive oil
- 1 tbs of Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup of red wine
- 2 tsp of freshly picked thyme leaves
- 2 tbs of freshly chopped parsley
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs
- 3 eggs, 1 beaten for brushing the pastry
- 2 tsp of sesame seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
- Begin by cooking the lentils. Place the lentils and vegetable stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender, drain and set aside to cool.
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, celery and carrot and cook until the onion is golden and caramelised. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the mustard and red wine and reduce to low and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius (400 Fahrenheit) and line a tray with baking paper.
- In a large bowl combine the lentils, mushroom mixture, thyme, parsley and breadcrumbs. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 of the eggs and mix until well combined.
- Cut the squares of puf pastry in half and place spoonfuls of the mixture down one side. Brush with beaten egg and fold the pastry over into a roll. Use a sharp knife to cut in half and then half again. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Place the rolls on the baking tray, brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
Simply adore this recipe and the combo you have done. and the sesame seeds. I bet they are delicious and looks super cute too.
Thank you so much Soma :D They were really delicious, especially with tomato chutney.
What a perfect appetizer - these sound so flavorful thanks to the herbs, mustard, and wine!
I've got a very good friend who's just moved to Brisbane from Victoria and she's driving up to the Sunshine Coast to visit us this weekend. These mushroom lentil rolls will be perfect!
Have a wonderful time with your friend this weekend :D
Yum, thanks for sharing the recipe
yay that's so wonderful! And friends like these are rare jewels indeed :)
On another note, I can't believe I never thought of something like this! You give me (a veggo) so many wonderful ideas!
Aww thanks. :D
you best friend sounds like a wonderful person. I can imagine how excited you are. Have fun then!
Those rolls look amazing! I like that filling. Particularly scrumptious and really original.
Cheers,
Rosa
What a delicious twist on the regular sausage roll that everyone can enjoy :)
Thanks!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
With all the greasy and cheesy appetizers out there, finding a good recipe that is healthy as well as tasty can be difficult. They are few and far between. However, your recipe here is a great find and I certainly will not miss the grease and cheese-delicious and healthy. Thanks for sharing this!
Also, long time best friend are hard to come by as well, so I am glad that you two are getting together this weekend. No doubt having some time with good friends is a recipe that guarantees a lot of fun!
Ooh these look delicious. I have to admit that I do love a good sausage roll too, but these are the kind of tasty vegetarian alternative that could convince a meat eater that it absolutely isn't necessary! Sesame seeds and flaky pastry are so perfect together.
What a fantastic recipe! Will be trying these at my next get-together. Beautifully shot, as always!
-Shannon
Thank you so much Shannon :D Love those mushrooms!
These look and sound delicious! And a great appetiser idea for vegetarians.
P.S. I also love Alannah Hill :-) Thank goodness I left Australia because one can never leave her store empty-handed!
Ahhh Thanh, I knew there was a reason I liked you ;) Now I have someone else to share my Alannah Hill obsession with. And you're right, you can never leave the store empty handed, although I have a lot more restraint now than I used to, thanks to my obsession with cookbooks and food styling props :D
By the way, let me know if you want anything from her shop. I'm happy to send it to you. :)
Oh that's so sweet of you to offer :-) Strangely enough, I still wear a lot of her clothes from 5 years ago! Either her style doesn't date so quickly or I've become a complete dag! But like you, perhaps my priorities have changed a little in recent years as well with my venture into cooking and the blogging world. Cookbooks have taken over our home and I'm always on the lookout for styling props!
I feel we'll meet one day and on that I am going to remind you that you should make these for me! They look insanely delicious, Jen!
Awww thanks :D And it would be lovely to meet one day.
My family likes lentils and this elegant presentation would please them. A splendid recipe!
Thanks Deb :D
Wow, these look absolutely perfect! I could eat all of those in one sitting, yum!
What a lovely little treats for a friend!
Oh Jennifer, can I come over too?? These look amazing! Actually, everything you make looks incredible!
Sure Katie! You better hop on a plane now :D
My daughter loves mushrooms, she would love to have these for her school lunch. I will take the puff pastry out from freezer, right now.
I'm so hungry - I'd kill for a little snack on these :) They look delicious!
I love those friends. When you find those special people it makes life that much better! Have fun catching up!!! And of course eating :-)
First off, you have a beautiful Global knife in the photo! Secondly, I've been thinking of ways to use this frozen puff pastry I have lying around my freezer for a month now. This is such a great idea!
Hi Jen! What a delicious way to eat lentil! I want to make these rolls for my kids who are not so into lentils because I think they will enjoy this!! Have a great time with your best friend. I know that feeling... You must be so excited! ;-)
These rolls look scrumptious! I love the combination of lentil and mushroom - especially in a roll. Yum!
Visiting your blog is always such a treat for the eyes and taste buds!! I'm going to have to spend at least 10 more mins trying to catch up. Do you live anywhere near Perth? That's my best friend - she moved from Texas to Perth!!
Hi Amee,
Perth is a 5 hour plane flight away from where I live. :D I hope your friend enjoys Perth.
I hope you have a wonderful time catching up with your friend, I'm sure there will be lots of good laughs and great food!
These look so delicious, love the ingredients inside. Hope you have a lovely visit from your friend! It's so great to catch up when you haven't seen each other in a while.
I would trade a sausage roll for one of these any day of the week. They look so flavoursome. I am glad you had a wonderful time with your friend!
Thanks Anna :D
There's nothing like old friends and catching up! I must say, these rolls are perfect with wine, I can't wait to try them, Jennifer!
Thanks Liren :D
Wow! I've just made these for dinner tonight and school lunch box treats tomorrow. Can't wait 'til they're out of the oven... the filling is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing this terrific recipe!
Wow. I discovered your website this morning and made these for lunch. We've just devoured the lot. Beautiful!
These are so delicious! They can totally stand on their own as a main course rather than an app. Thank you for this recipe! Not a week night meal but definitely worth the effort
These were soooo tasty. Thank you for sharing!