Way back when I worked in an office, I would meet the most interesting people in the break room. I was chatting to one of my colleagues, Gareth, and he mentioned how always woke up a bit worse for wear after going out for a drink and then raised his eyebrows in an expression that told me that there might be more to the story, if I cared to ask. I of course enquired and it turned out that when he lived in Melbourne, he had gone out drinking and a couple of days later, he woke up in Tasmania. And he liked it there so he decided to stay there for two years! His boyfriend who also worked there nodded and confirmed his story while I sat there open mouthed stirring my tea.
Even more bizarre was another tale of his, also involving drinking and waking up two days later (a recurring theme, it would seem). Gareth used to live opposite a Chinese butchers. It scared him somewhat as some days there would be a cow’s head in the window, which he found disconcerting and just a little bit creepy. As the story went, one night he consumed much alcohol and woke up a couple of days later, not in another state but in his own bed. Startlingly, he saw a large brown paper bag by the side of the bed and a cow’s head inside it. And at this point in the story, he paused for dramatic effect.
“The worst thing was that when I looked closer at the cow’s head, I could see that there were bits that were eaten from it!”
I think he cleared the entire break room with that tale and some of us turned a little vegetarian that day.
As you may know, I married into a family of vegetarians, Mr NQN being the only non vegetarian in his family. As much as I enjoy eating meat, I also enjoy eating vegetarian dishes a couple of times a week and it was when we were having a family dinner that I spoke to Mr NQN’s sister Araluen’s partner The Banksia Man. He is an omnivore but looks for vegetarian recipes when preparing meals for Araluen and himself. He told me about a recipe for chestnut and mushroom nut loaf.
A nut loaf is like a meat loaf but without meat and I was instantly interested in getting his recipe for it with its very winter friendly ingredients. There were chestnuts and mushrooms which are everywhere at the moment, as well as a tasty combination of items, some of which I added as I found the original recipe a little too much on the sweet side. You can make this vegan by leaving out the egg and replacing the liquid with milk although there won’t be anything that “binds” it together. It doesn’t affect the taste though and you just need to be a bit careful when slicing it up and putting it on the plate. Otherwise, I found this to be a delicious way to get vegetables and protein in a diet without the need for cow’s heads 
So tell me Dear Reader, would you or have you ever toyed with vegetarianism? I was vegetarian for two years when I was a teenager but the smell of bacon lured me back!
Winter Chestnut and Mushroom Loaf
- 250g/0.5 pound chestnuts
- 3 tablespoons oil for frying
- 3 onions, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 550g/19.3 ozs mushrooms, roughly chopped but not too big
- 1 cup/125g dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1 egg, beaten (you can omit this and replace it with 2-3 tablespoons milk if you want this to be egg free, see note*)
- 4-5 sage fresh leaves
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped green spring onion
- 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (optional, omit if you want to make this gluten free too)
- salt and pepper
1. Put a small saucepan of water on to boil. Score chestnuts on top being careful when using a knife on them as they can be slippery. Place the chestnuts in the boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts and cool. Remove the hard outer skin. There is also a layer of inner, furry skin that may cling tightly to the yellow meaty interior. If this doesn’t come off easily, then place back in water for another few minutes. Don’t worry if you can’t get all of the furry brown layer off. I couldn’t be bothered so I decided to call it “rustic” and be done with it and it tasted just fine
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Heat a saucepan on medium and add a tablespoon of oil and saute the onions until fragrant. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside in a large bowl.
3. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the chopped mushrooms and saute until cooked, stirring for about 10 minutes. Take out one quarter of the mushroom mix and add it to the onion mix. Put the remainder of the mushrooms into a food processor along with the cranberries, hazelnuts, egg, sage leaves, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, chestnuts and green spring onion and process until it comes together. Stir with the onion and mushroom mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Place in the prepared loaf tin and smooth down the top with a spatula. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with a salad or mashed potato or celeriac puree. *If egg free, it is best to serve this lukewarm or cold as the egg helps to bind it together. It holds together quite well when it is cold but not so much when it is hot.
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70 Comments | Add your own
That loaf must be really tasty and so comforting! A wonderful recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
I love chestnuts, though I’ve never managed to peel boiled ones, only roasted ones. Darn their furry skins! It would be cool to use chestnut mushrooms for this dish, just for the name..
What a great loaf! I have to bookmark it for winter!
What a crazy story, that guy must have been drinking very excessively to have had things like that happen to him!
I made a mushroom and chestnut paté a few years ago for a vegetarian friend, it was pretty tasty. I think I would like this but it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. It will seem like 40°C with the humidity today.
My hubby and I have been talking about going vego for a few weeks to see if it agrees with us. Watch this space! A vego friend of mine has leant me a fabulous vegetarian cookbook called ‘Plenty’ by Yotam Ottolenghi that’s bound to keep us on the straight and narrow.
This looks delicious!! I love chestnut and mushrooms. Great story too
I was vegetarian for a few months but I gave up. I rarely cook meat at home so I consider myself part vegetarian 
I’ve had a few regretful big drinking nights but I’ve never woken up in another State. That Gareth sounds like a real character and I bet everyone lived off his stories. Well done on preparing those chestnuts and this is a lovely looking ‘meatloaf’ xx
This sounds pretty tasty. I have never considered vegetarianism – just like my meat too much, and my mother would have never forgiven me
This looks wonderful. I never thought to use chestnuts in a vegetarian loaf! Wow.
My husband is a vegetarian and getting stricter by the year. My son, who lives on his own in the states, is now a vegetarian too. I am clearly out-numbered. I tried vegetarianism for about 9 months when in my 20s, but sorry, I don’t eat much meat, but I do love it in all its forms!
I love the look of this and must make soon! I also like the way it has been cut! Will have to remember that.
I like meat too much to ever even think of it. I grew up on a farm and meat was a staple, my family was the opposite of vegetarian.
I do like to eat vegetarian dishes however and this one looks lovely!
wow, this is so creative! i’m not a vegetarian, but i would love to eat some of this!
OMG!!! WHAT a story!!!! Two in fact!! hehehehehe!!
A bit tall a tale perhaps? If true, one day he is going to be in real trouble. If not…well, he should change careers and write fiction. He will be a best seller.
You write beautifully. I love your succinct style.Love the loaf recipe, though I am not and never been a happy vegetarian. As a family we do observe two vegetarian days a week – Thursday and Saturday.
Haha wow, that is a creepy story… “And that’s why we don’t binge drink for 2 days, kids!”
I grew up with a vegetarian Mum, but it is only the past year that I’ve really thought about the moral / ethical dilemma of being a meat eater
We do eat vegetarian meals several times a week though.
Wow a chopped cows head would turn even the biggest meat eater vegetarian! He has one strong stomach!
This loaf looks wonderful my friend, I may be anti mushroom but my family would love it!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I could never give up bacon, but I am feeling a lean towards less red meat at the moment…but I could never fully cross over..maybe for this nut loaf though!!
I could never give up bacon, but I am feeling a lean toward less red meat these days…I could never fully cross over… Maybe for this though!!
The smell of bacon lured you back… I love it!
Nope never even toyed with the idea of vegetarianism. I love my meat way too much. I will have to work on my ‘staring your food in the eye’ skills like on Masterchef last night though. That was a little bit confronting.
What a delicious looking winter dish – I just adore mushrooms & nuts. They are both so very nutritious.
I was once a vegetarian, but also lured back by the intoxicating smell of bacon!
Sounds great! In guessing u just blend up the boiled chestnuts too? I couldnt see then in the method after u peeled them
Hi Sally! Oops sorry, I have edited the recipe
Yum. I love chestnuts! I bet you miss hearing those crazy tales. Too funny
Hehe…that would be “vegetarian” Worcestershire sauce? Could you use dark soy perhaps or some mushroom “oyster” sauce? Looks great though and non vego ingredients would be fine with me. Funny how many vegetarians actually unwittingly eat products with animal content, ie tallow in margarine, gelatins, etc…must be tricky. Thanks for the great recipe Lorraine. xxx
My attempt at eating with chopsticks for a year lasted longer than my attempt at being vegetarian…..sigh….at least I tried.
omg i love chestnuts, as children we would visit our grandmother in Poland and she would make us chestnut ice cream… You should try her recipe! http://www.sammyandbella.com/?p=1076
What a delicious tale to go with a delicious recipe! Hmm, if this Gareth managed to work in a high pressure office, perhaps he so enjoyed telling tales
! Absolutely love the recipe and would so love to try it: just in our ‘miserable’ neighbourhood chestnuts are a ‘what did you want – never heard of them!’ ingredient. Have to ask friends coming!! I have never thought of becoming totally vegetarian, but as my repertoire of wonderful vegetarian dishes increased thru’ the years, I made it a given that about twice a week I had a vegetarian main meal. Works wonderfully 
!
yum! I love mushrooms but have never paired them with chestnut. I can see how wonderful the earthiness of mushrooms will go hand in hand with the chestnut. Wonderful recipe!
Yum! I love this idea. I’ve been looking for an orgasmic vegetarian dish.
I think Gareth did more than “have a drink” to end up is Tasmania. I suspect he drank his share, your share and mine too.
Dear Lorraine,
This winter loaf looks great and no, I don’t think I can be a vegetarian coz I love my red meats too much.
You find the most interesting culinary creations!
Sounds great! I love nut roasts but I have been scared off boiling chestnuts after a long night of peeling them and some very wrinkled fingers – though it wasn’t as horrid as the cow’s head story!
Vegetarian, me…no way…Ok, we don’t eat too much red meat in our regular meals, I prefer chicken or fish, but as you, if I smell bacon I can’t resist, and if we are in a BBQ, there is nothing better than chorizo and bife.
Mushroom and chestnut is a strange but delicious-sounding pairing… I will have to try this out! I’ve been vegetarian for about one and a half years now, but I never really ate a lot of meat before, so the transition wasn’t too hard for me. I think I’d have a much harder time giving up dairy products; ice cream is pretty much a food group in itself for me
Baaaaaahaaaaaaa. That story was hilarious and that loaf a must try. I’ve never been vegiterian I love meat way too much, but have always wondered… Are you really healthier not eating meat? Did you feel healthier during the time you were a vegiterian?
I bet the fresh chestnuts do impart the loaf with a quite meaty texture. I’ve never been a vegetarian, but I do enjoy indulging in a non-meat meal regularly. And most of my weekday lunches are meat-less. But yes, I’m with you — I’d miss pork way too much to ever go full-bore vegetarian, not to mention seafood.
I love vegetarian food, it goes great with steak! This dish does sound nice, but I’m seeing it as Turkey stuffing covered in gravy
The cows head story is a bit creepy like that weird face-eating guy in the news a little while ago. Maybe you could use cow heads as props for your next Halloween party? I can get pig heads for just five dollars, and they are delicious- when cooked!
Teehee, the smell of bacon is one of the things that pushes me towards vegetarianism!
I’m not strictly anything (after all, I cooked kangaroo last night) but you know I love my wacky vegan creations 
Hahaha! Well, Chinese people eat the darndest things!! Cow’s head! I actually saw it being sold in Chinese grocery stores here, too.
the thought of eating cow’s head makes me a bit queasy, but this vegetarian loaf sounds amazing, Lorraine, esp with the chestnuts!
Lorraine, I never thought in making a loaf with chestnuts and mushrooms…it sure sounds and looks delicious.
Have a wonderful week ahead
I’m not a vegetarian but I like to eat a mainly plant-based diet. This looks quite good with the chestnuts and mushrooms!
As for bacon, it is banned from my house because the smell of it is enough to make me turn vegetarian completely!
That looks so much like a meatloaf – I reckon I can fool my bf into thinking that it’s made using meat :p
I’m a carnivore myself but I do try to eat vegies as often as I can
i went vegan for one month as a personal challenge.
i learnt to appreciate food after that.
I have never been tempted to be a vegetarian (I just love meat so much), but I do enjoy many vege dishes.
This looks delicious Lorraine, a real winter warmer.
I was a Veghead (as people called me) for 5 years and managed to last until my second year in Australia. Mainly it was for health reasons that I had to start eating it again but secretly I just couldn’t let myself miss out on a proper BBQ
I still love a veggie meal though and would happily eat mostly veggie if it wasn’t for my partner – he loves his meat!! 
You are the best story-teller, has anyone told you that lately? You always find the best tales to introduce your recipes, and the way you write about them is really good. Can’t wait for the book to come out!
And you’re not going to believe this but after a lifetime of being a complete meat-lover, I’ve started going fully vegetarian last week! It was a gradual process, first cutting out pork, then red meat, until I reached this stage. I still love looking at all kinds of food, it’s just that I’ll be enjoying meat dishes vicariously from now on. That’s fine, I’m ok with that, anyway I’ll see how I go! I might crack at the first sniff of bacon like you 
But I hope I can keep this up. And this recipe is something interesting that I’d definitely love to try! Cheers 
Aww shucks thank you so much Sharon!
Good luck with the whole new vegetarian lifestyle! My in laws swear by it 
Okay the cow head is actually quite funny. Umm not if it happened to me of course
Such wonderful winter flavours, even though mushrooms are definitely an all year yummy!
So tempting.
The loaf looks yum, would be great with bitter greens salad and some sauce or aioli eating it at a chestnut farm you’ve just picked from.
Mushrooms are great at this time of the year at $6kilo ( local fruit ‘n’ veg) why not. im inspired!
Finding a cows head in your bed would be quite alarming I imagine…
A vegie loaf, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at this for a while now! Will have to keep my eye out for chestnuts
I’ve been a vego for over 4 years now…growing up on a small farm with a dad who reared beef cattle meant the fam didn’t quite get it at first but now my Dad even cooks my facon on the BBQ for brekky
Although I’ve gotta say I’ve accidentally eaten meat on occasion when I haven’t known it was in there, and travelling can definitely be tough! But it’s lucky that there’s generally good vego options for eats in Sydney 
What a creative use of chestnuts and mushrooms. I’ve never had anything like this before. Thanks for sharing! =]
This looks like such comforting and warming loaf!!!
Perfect for cold days to snuggle with….
Yum!!
I’m a big chestnut fan and this is something I look forward to when fall comes in Japan. I haven’t really found delicious chestnuts (there are cheap ones here but taste is not same at all and size is small) and I miss chestnut rice every fall… I never thought of adding chestnut in loaf! And with mushrooms! This is very innovative recipe to me and I can easily finish it half by myself!
I’ve never been a fan of chestnuts (and the Christmas song of chestnuts roasting over an open fire didn’t manage to sway me!), but I’ve never had them in a loaf before, so I suppose there is a possibility that I might enjoy them when combined with other delicious ingredients. I’d give it a go because I’d LIKE to like chestnuts
I am shocked that one could wake up one day in a completely different location and love it enough to stay for 2 years – that’s so spontaneous and part of me is so envious of that kind of bravery… On the other hand, I’m not sure I could stomach waking up with a partially nibbled cows head next to my bed…
I could be a vegetarian because I wouldn’t have to give up bread, cheese or eggs. Like you, my undoing might be bacon, but I think I could learn to forget
I could not go vegan – there’s no way I could give up cheese and still be happy…
I’ve never used chestnuts before in cooking. I was a vegetarian for a long time but now I think bacon is a condiment
A savory loaf! I like. No. I double like! Love the use of chestnuts in this recipe!
Oh wow, that looks really nice! I’m a committed carnivore, but would be happy sitting down to a nice slice of chestnut loaf!
Thanks, Lorraine!
And if your in laws swear by it then…yay! 
This looks delicious.. I wouldnt mind turning vegetarian for a day if I could eat this!
Went vegetarian for a couple of years, it was my friends amazing bbq Moroccan chicken that broke me. That and two years of people asking if my health was ok, I guess I wasn’t looking my best. Some people just aren’t that suited to that style of eating. The loaf looks delicious!
That story of your former co-worker was pretty amazing. I work in the healthcare field and I don’t think he would’ve been allowed in the building with that story.
So your chestnut/mushroom loaf is pretty interesting. My cooking club is planning a vegan day and your recipe would fit the bill.
by the way what photo program do you use so you can get your website on the pictures? And what kind of camera do you have? Lovely pics
I was a vegetarian in and then after college. I did the whole healthfood thing and after I had kids I gave up pork and all pork products for 4 years. This loaf looks good and I love mushrooms and chestnuts. Very cool recipe. I also want to add that when we were in the UK for P2P we visited a wonderful smokery and the owner said he bought it when he was drunk. But he stuck with it. A lot better than a cow’s head.
i’m not even gonna attempt vegetarianism. i wouldn’t last a day.
This is a great vegetarian recipe to share. We’ll keep it in our pockets for the winter time!
That’s a funny story about Gareth! Where did you work Must have been a fun place! Hahaha!
I’m an omnivore through and through, although I try (try being the operative word) to move into a plant-heavy diet. But having kids, it’s a little tougher to cook and make them eat all kinds of veggies. I did dabble into vegetarianism when I was in high school – it lasted 2 months! LOL!
Oh, by the way, the loaf looks good! Maybe I’ll have to mix in some mince into the chestnut and mushroom loaf – hehe – can I do that?
O…M…G… I’m a black out drunk myself but NEVER in my life have I ever discovered a nibbled cows head! I’ll have to share this one with my husband in an attempt to convince him I’m not so bad!
Oh, and the nut loaf sounds pretty fab. I could only become a vegetarian if chicken and bacon stopped being meat. Because why on earth would you want to live without chicken and bacon?
I honestly never really thought of becoming a vegetarian, I have just become more careful about what I eat and how I eat it. But I enjoy eating and making vegetarian meals and am always happy to have a new, different recipe to make for vegetarian friends.
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