No vegetarian cookbook would be complete without a good savory meatloaf. Here’s a tried-and-true recipe that you will love. It is a basic recipe that lends itself well to variations. If you live in areas of the world where pecans are rare, use your local nuts.
If you don’t have tofu, use soybeans. Seasonings can be varied too, according to what you like. This recipe includes a large amount of onions. At first I thought that sounded like too much, but now I consider it to be the secret of its wonderful flavor and moist texture. The tofu or soybeans and gluten flour or cornstarch help bind it together, replacing the eggs.
Ingredients:
1 cup tofu and ½ cup water (or 1 cup soaked soybeans with 1 cup water)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or 2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ cup gluten flour or cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground sage or Italian seasoning
3-4 cups soft whole grain bread crumbs
2 cups pecans (may use walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, or cashews)
2 cups finely chopped onions
Directions:
Blend tofu (or soybeans) with water, garlic, and seasonings
Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add blended tofu or soybeans and mix well.
Hint: A food processor will greatly simplify the preparation of this loaf. The bread can easily be made into crumbs several slices at a time, the nuts can be ground, and the onions chopped. These bread crumbs are made using soft, untoasted bread. Dried crumbs are more compact, so if you use them, use only 1½ – 2 cups.
Place mix in lightly oiled or nonstick loaf pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes to give it a chance to set up before removing from the pan. Turn upside down onto a serving dish. Garnish with fresh parsley or kale and serve with simple gravy or Sweet and Sour Tomato sauce.
Variation: Cashew-Carrot Loaf
Follow Holiday Nut Loaf recipe using 2 cups raw cashew nuts in place of the pecans. Use 1 cup finely ground or grated carrots and reduce onions to 1 cup finely chopped onions. Use 1 tablespoon chicken-like seasoning in place of the Bragg Liquid Aminos.
Serving Tips: A good entrée for a holiday meal along with cranberries, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
This loaf freezes well. Leftover loaf is delicious when slices are placed in a nonstick skillet and browned on each side. Yummy in sandwiches or burgers.
Make 1 loaf (10 servings)