We know keeping a balanced diet is of the essence, but that usually gets a bit harder when we get bored of eating the same ingredients always in the same way. Presenting your regular favorites in a different way can help you and your family have a varied and fun diet. Besides rich and comforting, this vegan meatloaf is glazed in barbecue sauce. It doesn’t get any better, does it? Check this recipe out click here
Don’t run away from a long list of ingredients and a recipe that has more than four or five types. Think of it this way: you make this recipe on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll have dinner ready and one or two more weekly meals done. Just a frozen container away from you. Let’s see what this recipe is about!
Vegan treats
Although it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way for everybody, vegan meals are more easily included in a person’s diet when it resembles a familiar texture. In this case, thanks to not only the cooking method, but the ingredients such as rice and lentils, the vegan meatloaf is just as delicious as any other non-vegan version of the treat! If you’re a newbie in the vegan world, you will notice it’s not necessary to sacrifice important features such as texture or taste.
You will need:
- 2 cups of brown rice.
- Olive oil or nonstick spray.
- ¼ cup of canola oil.
- 1 cup of mushrooms.
- Salt to taste.
- Pepper to taste.
- 1 onion.
- 3 cloves of garlic.
- 1 cup of walnuts.
- 1 can of lentils.
- ½ cup of fresh parsley.
- ½ cup of bread crumbs.
- ¼ cup of quick oats.
- 6 tbsp of ground flax meal.
- ½ cup of barbecue sauce.
- ¼ cup of soy sauce.
Here are the steps to follow:
- The first two steps are preparation steps. First, turn on your oven in order to preheat it at maximum heat. Take a loaf pan and drizzle some non-stick spray all over it. Cover the full area with some parchment paper, even leave some paper hanging by the edges.
- Then, pour two cups of water in a medium pot and season with salt. Bring the water to a boil and then add a cup of brown rice. Simmer for about twenty minutes, until the rice gets the texture you like. Once done, drain it well and set aside allowing it to cool down almost completely.
- Now, prepare the ingredients you’ll be cooking next. Take the mushrooms and slice them up. Season them with some salt and pepper. Take a large skillet and, over a high heat, heat some canola oil. Bring the mushrooms and sauté for some minutes until they are almost browned. This should take eight minutes or so.
- In the meantime, peel an onion and slice it up and chop three cloves of garlic. Take both things to the skillet and cook until the onion is translucent. Make sure the liquid evaporates. Turn the heat off and let everything cool down.
- With the help of a blender or a food processor, grind a cup of walnuts to make crumbles. If it is cool enough, bring the mushroom mix and add only half of the rice and half a cup of lentils. Also add some fresh parsley and make a pureé out of everything. Make sure the ingredients are well integrated to form a paste.
- Take that paste to a bowl and mix it with the rest of the rice and the rest of the lentils. Add the breadcrumbs to the mix together with the quick oats and give everything a good stir.
- Add some soy sauce and some barbecue sauce and integrate everything.
- Now, place the mix in the loaf pan almost reaching the top. Make sure the top is soft and the mix even in the pan so that everything cooks evenly. Take the pan to the oven and, over a medium or high heat, cook for about half an hour. Depending on your oven, after that time, you can poke the meatloaf and check if the fork or stick comes out clean. That is the sign it is ready.
- Take it out and drizzle some more barbecue sauce all over the top and take it back to the over for a couple more minutes. With the help of the hanging edges of the paper, remove from the pan and serve!
Does it hold together?
As you probably noticed, because this is a vegan recipe, it doesn’t take any eggs to keep the meatloaf together. However, even if that is the number one choice of a binding element, it is easily replaceable. In this recipe, the mix of brown rice together with the drier elements such as the oats and the breadcrumbs do the job perfectly.
If you are still experimenting and discovering vegan recipes, note that you can also use chia eggs as a replacement for the traditional binding ingredients.
Some secrets behind the recipe
Contrary to what it seems, there are several liquid agents in the recipe. Not only the sauces, but also the vegetables. Using the right amount of breadcrumbs will prevent the liquid from going anywhere, keeping your meatloaf nicely moisturized and with the right texture. Even if some of the ingredients are not so common, make sure you get them all right before making the meatloaf, that will certainly make a difference.
Moreover, do not use your oven at the highest degrees to cook it. A lower heat will be more beneficial, even if it takes longer to cook. Make sure your roaster is even so that it cooks evenly.
Make it fun for the kids
Slice the meatloaf in the shape of french fries and add some barbecue sauce for dipping. Of course, it can be anything they like, maybe ketchup or even some mayonnaise. Use this as a side dish for some roasted vegetables and they won’t be able to resist it! Do try this recipe out and let us know how it goes in the comment section below!
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