Paying homage to a classic American family dinner.
I can't imagine not having this recipe in my regular dinner rotation. I made Betty Crocker's meatloaf recipe so many times that I had it memorized by heart. I decided I couldn't transition to plant-based eating if I couldn't take my beloved loaf with me. A tall order since Betty's base ingredient is ground beef!
I got to work and found an amazing combination that mimics that texture and feel of meatloaf without the meat. Hence, veatloaf!
I always serve my veatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables on the side. The vegetable side can be anything your family prefers, around here we like asparagus, carrots, or brussel sprouts.
A little about the ingredients
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) - I was surprised to learn that most of us have had this ingredient without even realizing it. Invented in the 1960s, it became a common supplement or sometimes full replacement for ground beef in school lunches across America (think sloppy joes, chili, or tacos). It is still used as a filler and also included in a variety of pre-packaged foods. What I like about TVP is it's a pantry stored ingredient with a long shelf life. TVP takes on flavors well and perfectly resembles ground beef in texture.
Mushroom Seasoning - I like using mushroom seasoning to mimic the umami flavor of ground beef once it is browned. It can be helpful to deepen the flavor profile of a recipe without having to add actual mushrooms to the ingredient list.
Marmite - I knew nothing of marmite growing up. Apparently, there are regional variations (there is a UK, Australian, and New Zealand version). I found the UK Marmite online and use it primarily to add savory flavor to TVP along with the mushroom seasoning.
Egg Replacer - There are several alternatives on the market today that can substitute chicken eggs in most cooking and baking recipes that use eggs as a binding ingredient. Check the ingredient list to see which egg replacer I used for this recipe.
Veatloaf (aka Vegan Meatloaf)
Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 minutes Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
"Meat" Ingredients:
1 c. uncooked green lentils
1/2 c. uncooked textured vegetable protein (TVP)
2 c. water (1 c. for cooking lentils and 1 c. for soaking the TVP)
1/2 tsp. marmite (optional)
1 tsp. mushroom seasoning
1/4 tsp. celery salt (or regular table salt)
Wet Ingredients:
2 Egg Replacer (I used Bob's Red Mill egg replacer)
1 Tb. BBQ Sauce (optional, can use ketchup instead)
2 Tb. Ketchup plus more to coat the top of the loaf
Olive oil (to coat the loaf pan)
Dry Ingredients:
24 saltine crackers
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs
2tsp dried parsley
1 tsp. black pepper
celery salt to taste
Vegetables:
1 medium green pepper (about 1/2 cup finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
2 carrots (about 3/4 c. finely chopped)
Equipment Needed:
1 small saucepan
1 medium saucepan with lid
1 large mixing bowl
1 loaf pan
Food processor or blender (optional, could use a potato masher or fork)
Fine mesh strainer
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
1. Cook the lentils and soak the TVP
Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer
In a medium saucepan, combine water, and lentils and bring to a boil
Once boiling, place the lid on the saucepan and allow lentils to slowly simmer until liquid is absorbed about 15-20 minutes
While the lentils simmer, create a broth by adding water, marmite, mushroom seasoning, and celery salt to a small saucepan; heat until all ingredients are combined
Remove from heat and add the TVP to the hot broth to marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients
2. Chop the vegetables
Finely chop the green pepper, garlic, and carrots and set aside
3. Blend the dry ingredients
In a food processor, add saltine crackers, bread crumbs, parsley, black pepper, and salt and blend for several seconds until crackers are broken down to the size of small breadcrumbs
4. Blend the Egg Replacer
Combine Egg Replacer with water per instructions and set aside
5. Pulse the lentils, drain the TVP, combine the loaf
Once the lentils are completely cooked, set half aside and place the other half into a food processor; pulse until blended into a thick paste
Drain the TVP from the broth using the fine mesh strainer
In a large mixing bowl, add lentils, lentil paste, TVP, chopped vegetables, egg replacer, BBQ sauce, ketchup, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste and mix all ingredients until a well-combined ball is formed
Form the veatloaf mixture into a football shape and place in a well-greased loaf pan
Drizzle olive oil over the top and down the sides of the loaf if desired (I found this kept the loaf from getting too dried out)
Spread ketchup over the loaf until completely covered
6. Bake
Place in the oven uncovered and bake for 40-50 minutes until the sides are slightly crusted and the ketchup is caramelized (the ketchup will appear shiny and smooth)
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