Went From No Meatloaf Anymore to "No-Meat"Loaf

     I think my husband's favorite entrée as an omnivore was meatloaf.  If we went to a fancy-shmancy restaurant, he would get super excited if, surprisingly, the place had meatloaf on their menu.  It was disappointing if they included something like prosciutto or veal in the meatloaf.  He loved good old home cooking type of meatloaf. 

     I have been looking at recipes for a plant based meatloaf for some time.  I just couldn't imagine that it would be sliceable, and that was important to me.  Several of the websites mentioned that the recipe was very good, but fell apart upon slicing.  I took components from a few recipes and reworked them into a good tasting "meatloaf" that is sliceable. 

 Now a warning to non-plant based eaters.  I think you will like this, but don't expect it to taste similar to a traditional meatloaf.  If you are interested in working some plant based meals into your rotation, you should always keep it in mind that there is rarely a recipe that will taste very similar to a meat based meal.  Just because they taste different does not mean that either version is bad, just unique.

     One of the many things I like about cooking plant based, is that I can take a taste of the dish when it is raw to check for seasoning adjustments.  It's not that it tastes great raw, but it is palatable enough and safe so that a person can discern whether an adjustment needs to be made, especially if they are trying to come up with a new recipe. 

     We had sautéed fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, and herb rolls with the meatloaf, and it was a welcome addition to our meal rotations.

PLANT BASED “MEAT” LOAF

1/2 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces firm tofu, drained and pressed
½ cup walnuts
1 ½ cups cooked brown or green lentils
1 ¼ cup quick cooking oats
5 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari
3 Tbsp. ketchup, (more for topping)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
¼ cup fresh parsley
½ tsp. each thyme, sage, and rosemary

Topping:

3 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
2 tsp. brown sugar    

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil a loaf pan.

Sautee onion, celery, and red pepper until softened, about 8-10 minutes.  Add garlic and sautee another two minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Mash tofu in a large bowl.  Stir in cooked mixture and remaining ingredients and combine well. 

Spoon mixture into the loaf pan and press firmly. 

Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl.

 Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, then add topping to the meatloaf.  Place back into oven and cook for another 30 minutes.  Let the meatloaf sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Husband's note:  And the next day, of course, means no-meatloaf sandwiches!  Served with some homemade soup (the blog on that later this week) makes for an amazing meal!