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| Irresistable Nut Loaf with Veggie Mushroom Gravy Note: the loaf pictured is half the recipe; the full recipe produces a loaf twice the height |
Trust 67goingon50 - this nut loaf is more than deserving of a place on the Christmas table. The Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce - minus the tooth-aching sweetness of some processed brands - elevates it to a higher level.
Nut loaf has a bad press and that's not surprising given that many are boring and tasteless. This recipe, adapted from Lorna Brasher*, won't disappoint, and even meat-eaters will praise it. The flavour and texture are superb.
The loaf has been in 67's repertoire for many years and - a sign of a good protein loaf for vegetarians or carnivores - leftovers make great sandwiches.
Some chopping is required but really is worth it.
Note: 67 used reconstituted dried Chinese shitake mushrooms because there were plenty in the cupboard and they add a lovely bosky flavour. Fresh shitake mushrooms or reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms work equally well.
Cost: £4-5
Serves: 6-8 (half the recipe serves 3-4 nicely)
Ingred:
125 gm/4.5 oz red lentils
40 gr/1.5 oz butter (dairy or vegan)
35 gr/1.2 oz olive oil
1 large carrot, grated
1 large red onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, grated
3 celery sticks, washed, peeled, halved vertically and finely sliced
75 gm/2.5 oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
75 gm/2.5 oz reconstituted Chinese shitake mushrooms - dried weight 1.5oz/40gm dried - stems removed, in small dice. Save the soaking liquid (opt)
250gm/9 oz mixed unsalted nuts, half coarsely chopped, half processed to a medium crumb
1 tomato, roughly chopped
40gm/1.5oz oatmeal soaked in water and drained OR wholemeal breadcrumbs
4 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp mixed fresh herbs (parsley, basil, chives) or 6 tsp dried
2 tbsp orange zest
1.5 eggs, beaten (or vegan binding agent)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 190c/375/gas 5
- Generously oil 900 g loaf tin; line the base with a strip of greaseproof paper with the ends overhanging (A silicone pan can be lightly greased)
- Rinse lentils in cold water; drain; pour boiling water over; set aside
- Heat a large non-stick frypan over med-high heat, add butter and oil; saute onions 2-3 mins
- Add celery, carrot, garlic, chestnut mushrooms, shitake/porcini mushrooms and nuts; cook 4-5 mins, stirring until veg are softened
- Stir in tomatoes, oatmeal (or breadcrumbs) ketchup and tomato paste and cook over med heat 1-2 mins
- Take half of mix and mash well or roughly blitz with a stick blender; you're looking for an interesting texture, not puree. Blend with original mix
- Take off heat; add herbs, beaten egg, drained lentils, orange zest, pepper & a little salt & a few tbsp of the mushroom soaking liquid; mix well
- Scrape into tin; level surface; cover with greased foil/greaseproof paper
- Bake 1 hour; 10 mins before the end of cooking time, remove cover
- To remove the loaf, slide a knife between the sides of the meatloaf and the tin and lift the ends of the greaseproof paper; be gentle
- Serve with, Stir-fry Sprouts and Corn, Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce
Tips:
- chestnut mushrooms can be replaced with white
- Preparing in Advance: The Blogger served this using a loaf made the previous day. (Wrap the cooled loaf well in greaseproof paper before refrigerating.) The loaf was sliced and covered in Mushroom Vegetarian Gravy; the dish was covered with clingfilm with 1-2 perforations and microwaved on high for 3 minutes. It was superb, as good as on the day it was made - though more fragile. Transfer to serving plate with care. Re-heating through steam (at least 5 minutes at a rolling boil) or in a low oven could also be used but check the internal temperature - it should be at least 140 Fahrenheit
*Lorna Brasher, Food stylist and cookbook author
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This recipe has been developed by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.
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