Southern Style Mock Meat Loaf

A snow storm hit us this weekend and I ended up spending a lot of time in my kitchen. I'm not a fan of the snow, so spending the day next to my oven was just fine with me. I didn't step outside my house (that would have required me to change out of my comfy yoga pants) so I had to work with what I had on hand. Good thing, because it forced me to improvise and through this I came up with a tasty "meat" loaf that held together beautifully. Plus, it made killer left-overs.

*Whenever I have a block of tofu that is about to expire before I can use it, I stash it in my freezer. Tofu takes on a different consistency when it has been frozen and then defrosted (you can do this in the microwave in a matter of minutes - just be sure to squeeze as much water out as possible). It is more spongy and therefore is able to suck up marinade like nobodies business. So, if you have one of these blocks of frozen tofu, get it out - I have a recipe for you.

INGREDIENTS:

~one block tofu (previously frozen and defrosted)*

~one cup TVP (texturized vegetable protein - put one cup of TVP in a bowl with 1 cup of water and set aside until water is thoroughly absorbed. Drain off any residual water)

~1/3 purple onion - chopped

~3 mushrooms - thinly sliced/chopped

~approx. a cup garbanzo flour (soy flour would work too)

~ 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

~1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

~Panko (approx. 1/4 cup)

~Matzo meal (approx. 1/8 cup) - If you don't have matzo meal, you could use more panko or another type of bread/cracker crumb

~BBQ sauce

~Teriyaki Sauce

~Organic ketchup

~Hot sauce (optional)

~Black pepper

~Paprika (optional)

Pre-Heat Oven 350 to 375 degrees.

STEP ONE: In a skillet with a little olive oil saute the onion and mushrooms until soft. 

STEP TWO:  In a large mixing bowl prepare the wet ingredients...

A. Mash tofu (be sure to squeeze out as much water as possible) into small chunks with fork

B. Add TVP

C. Add sautéed onions and mushrooms

D. Mix ingredients together

E. Add teriyaki sauce - add a little at a time, mix to thoroughly coat - add more for flavor. 

F. For more robust taste add a little BBQ sauce and/or ketchup.  For a spicier twist add some hot sauce to taste. 

STEP THREE: In a small mixing bowl combine the following dry ingredients....

Garbanzo flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, panko, matzo meal, ground pepper to taste, paprika to taste. 

STEP FOUR: Combine dry and wet ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Depending on how much wet ingredients you have, you may need to add more panko/matzo meal to make the ingredients stick together. 

STEP FIVE: Pour mixture into large loaf pan. Then....

A. Coat the top of the loaf with a combination of BBQ sauce and ketchup, creating a nice layer on top. A basting brush works great for this. 

B. Bake uncovered for approximately 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven. The loaf should be solid when you remove it from the oven. 

C. Let chill for approx. 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve. 

I made a shiitake mushroom gravy that tasted great with the loaf. It takes fine without it, but I love any excuse to eat gravy! 

Vegan Comfort Food: Mock Meat Loaf

I've tried making mock meat loaf a few times using the fake ground meat and they always came out too wet. The other day I created a mock meat loaf by pure experimentation and I came across one tasty surprise.

I'm really not sure how much of each ingredient I used, but it filled up an entire loaf pan (that was on the long side - IKEA - got to love them).

Dry Ingredients (put in bowl first)
flax seeds
flax seed flour
spelt
rolled oats (quick cooking)
soy flour
paprika
Cajun spice
sea salt
ground pepper
basil
red chili flakes
wheat germ
seasoning salt


Wet Ingredients (blend in food processor)
1 sweet onion
5 mushrooms
vegan Worcestershire sauce
organic ketchup
soy sauce
Tamari
teriyaki sauce
hot pepper
walnuts (okay - these are not wet, but they need to be blended)
crushed garlic
cooked brown rice

Add to Dry Ingredients and stir until coated
Crumble one block of firm tofu
crumble one block of tempeh (I used the five grain type from Turtle Island Foods)

Add blended ingredients
Stir in blended ingredients, if it is too wet add more oats and flour. If it is too dry, add in more ketchup and teriyaki sauce.

Once thoroughly mixed, pour info loaf pan. Squirt Ketchup all over the top. Cook at 375 degrees for an hour. Let cool for 10 minutes and then slice.

Best part: the mock loaf tastes great the next day - even cold. You could make a yummy sandwich.

The Be-Bop Way: To prepare this dish, embrace the ingredients that you love and cook with them. If you don't like certain ingredients, then don't add them. However, keep in mind that you need a good balance of wet and dry to make this loaf otherwise it might turn out too mushy or too tough. If you don't want to add oats, be sure to add lots of breadcrumbs or something that will hold the loaf together.