Hi everyone,
I'd like to share the recipe of a non-meat loaf today. I've made it many times. We like it very much.
It could be prepared in advance.. It freezes well too.
Besides vegans/vegetarians, I thought it might interest also those who may want to try something new, low in fat and cholesterol, high in nutrients and plant protein.
I often serve it together with oven baked potatoes and a simple tomato salad.
The recipe is originally from Eat to Live Cookbook. I've made some changes on the original recipe due to our needs. It may include some unfamiliar ingredients (well.. familiarity issue may change from one country to another but they were unfamiliar to me), I've explained how to replace them in case you don't have them.
After trying both ways, with and without Thermomix, I've found that chopping vegetables by hand and sauteing them in non-stick pan more desirable for this particular recipe.
I've used Thermomix as a blender instead.
Here comes the recipe..
Ingredients (for 6):Non-meat Mushroom Tofu Loaf:250 g onions
60 g celery stick
400 g mushrooms
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp salt-free meat loaf spice
(*1)1 Tbsp oregano
50 g water
40 g arrowroot powder
(*2)2 tsps Bragg's Liquid Aminos
(*3) or low sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari
400 g organic natural firm tofu (with no added salt, sugar or spice)
100 g chopped walnuts
100 g brown rice
80 g whole wheat bread crumbs
Roasted Potatoes:1 kg potatoes
A few sprigs of rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper
Very little salt
Tomato salad:500 g cherry tomatoes
150 g green or red pepper
75 g scallions
Parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh lemon juice
(*1) You can buy any no-salt added meat loaf mixture of your preferred brand, or you can simply prepare your own special mixture. When I don't have any ready to use meatball spice at home, I prepare one using ground cumin, sweet paprika, black pepper and allspice.
(*2) Arrowroot powder (aka arrowroot starch) is a thickening agent often used to thicken baby formulas, puddings, soups ... etc. It aids digestion, boosts immune function. You can substitute with potato starch or cornstarch.
(*3) Bragg's Liquid Aminos, is an alternative to soy sauce and tamari. It is rich in amino acids, containing 16 of the 20 found in nature. It is not fermented, made of non-GMO soybeans and purified water. It can be substituted with low sodium soy sauce or tamari.
Preparation:Mushroom Tofu Loaf: Cook brown rice for the cooking time specified on the package. It is usually around 30 - 45 minutes according the type of the rice. Drain and let it cool to room temperature.
Chop onions, celery and mushrooms into small pieces. Transfer all into a non-stick pan.
Sauté vegetables until they are soft, stir occasionally. If/when needed add 1 - 2 Tbsps of water to prevent them from sticking.
Add meatball spice and oregano 1 - 2 minutes before turning the heat off.
Drain tofu. Pat it dry with paper towel.
Melt arrowroot powder in 50 g of water. Add Bragg's Liquid Aminos and mix all.
Mix tofu and arrowroot water for 5 seconds on Speed 5-6.
Add walnuts into TM Bowl and mix for 5 seconds on Speed 5-6.
Transfer tofu mixture in a large bowl. Add cooked vegetables, rice and bread crumbs.
Mix all with a spoon or by hand.
Cover a loaf pan (11 x 30 cm) with baking paper. Add mixture to pan and spread evenly.
Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
Roasted potatoes: When the end of cooking time of your non-meat loaf is near, start washing potatoes with a brush.
Do not peel them. Cut them into pieces.
Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and very little salt. Add rosemary leaves and mix all. Transfer into oven tray previously covered with baking paper.
Cook in preheated oven at 220°C for 25 minutes.
Tomato salad: Chop all the ingredients and dress with lemon juice and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
Service: Turn loaf out.
You can place loaf in a serving tray with potatoes.
Slice and serve with roasted potatoes and tomato salad.
Enjoy.
Photos: http://bitkiselcafe.blogspot.it/2017/01/mushroom-tofu-loaf.html 