Autumn Hotpot

I'm a bit under the weather at the moment and haven't been able to get out to the shops. I knocked this together for last night's tea* with what I had in as I needed something that would do me a few meals. I'll definitely make this again, my idea of comfort food.

*I am from the North of England where 'tea' is also a term for our evening meal.

Autumn Hotpot – Serves 2

1 onion

2 carrots

1 parsnip

1 small butternut squash

3 small to medium potatoes

½ teaspoon of dried sage

1 tablespoon of vegan margarine

Olive oil to brush potatoes

Sauce

1 oz flour

½ pint of apple juice or you could use alcoholic cider

1 dessert spoon of tomato puree

½ teaspoonn of yeast extract

¼ cup of nutritional yeast

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Chop the onion, carrots, parsnip and squash into chunks and saute in the margarine for about 10 minutes with the dried sage until the veg starts to soften.

In the meantime make the sauce by whisking the flour in a pan with enough apple juice to dissolve it and make a paste. Over a low heat continue to add the juice whisking all the time. Stir in the tomato puree, yeast extract, nutritional yeast and salt + pepper to taste. When it starts to thicken remove from the heat.

Stir the sauce into the vegetable mixture and transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices. Top the veg mixture with the potatoes and brush the slices with oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook for 30 minutes.

Serve accompanied with the remaining cider or apple juice.