Tofu Lentil Vegetarian Meatloaf Food

TOFU VEGETABLE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan with spray oil; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion, carrot, garlic and parsley and cook until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wrap tofu in 3 or 4 layers of paper towels and gently press out as much water as possible, changing the paper towels once or twice as needed.
• Crumble tofu into a food processor and then add bread crumbs, ketchup, tamari and Worcestershire and puree until smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl and stir in onion mixture.
• Spoon tofu mixture into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
• Bake, uncovered, until deep golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Cool slightly before slicing.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare lentils by rinsing them and adding to a pot with water and a bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat down and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf and set the lentils aside to cool. This step can be done in advance.
• In the meantime toast walnuts by spreading them onto a baking sheet and toasting in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauté pan and cook onions, garlic, carrots and celery until they've softened and become fragrant. About 5-10 minutes. Once cooked remove from stovetop to cool.
• Add lentils (reserve ½ cup for later), cooked veggies, toasted walnuts, oats, tamari, tomato paste, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and sea salt to the food processor. Pulse until mixture is just combined and the texture is to your liking. You want the mixture to be combined enough to stick together, but you don't want it to be completely pulverized.
• Stir in the reserved lentils and press mixture into parchment lined loaf pan. I used a 9" x 5" x 2½".
• In a small bowl stir together glaze ingredients and spread the glaze over top of the loaf.
• Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 8 more minutes. Let the loaf rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
• Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Or freeze for up to 1 month.

VEGETARIAN TOFU AND NUT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Place tofu, eggs, onion soup mix, and soy sauce into a food processor or blender; process until combined. Add walnuts and puree until smooth. Transfer tofu mixture to a large bowl.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir mushrooms, onion, and celery in the hot oil until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with oregano, basil, and sage.
• Stir vegetables and bread crumbs into tofu mixture; press mixture into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaf is golden brown, about 75 minutes. Allow loaf to cool slightly before slicing.

VEGETARIAN MEATLESS MEATLOAF WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Combine broth and lentils in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft and broth is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain extra broth, if necessary. Mash lentils slightly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan.
• Add oats, Cheddar cheese, panko, eggs, onion, ketchup, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to the bowl with the lentils and mix well. Transfer mixture to the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaf starts to brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Loosen sides using a spatula before slicing.

VEGAN LENTIL NUT "MEAT" LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard loaf pan (or 8x8-inch baking pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Heat a large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and mushrooms and season with a pinch each salt and pepper and the coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes or until caramelized. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat another large cast-iron or metal skillet (or use the same one as you cooked the mushrooms in) over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and arrange sweet potatoes in as even of a layer as possible. Then cover and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown on the underside. Flip, add 3 Tbsp (45 ml) water, and cover. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until tender and browned (but not mushy). Set aside uncovered to cool slightly.
• To a large (at least 7-cup) food processor, add nuts and pulse a few times into a loose meal. Then add sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and thyme, and pulse to combine. Lastly, add lentils, salt, and pepper and pulse to loosely combine but be careful not to purée.
• Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add tomato paste and coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire and stir until a loose dough forms. Then add bread crumbs (we like Ian's gluten-free panko) a little at a time (we used all of the recommended amount) until a thick dough forms. If for some reason it's crumbly (which may happen depending on the texture of your lentils), scoop half of the mixture back into the food processor and pulse until it's more finely puréed and then return back to the bowl and stir with the remaining mixture. If for some reason it's too wet, add more bread crumbs as needed.
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tomato paste for added moisture / tomato flavor, coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire for depth of flavor, salt for saltiness, or thyme to taste.
• Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined loaf pan, spread, and press into an even layer (to avoid a crumbly loaf, tap pan on counter to settle the mixture and place parchment paper on top and press down firmly with a drinking glass or flat bottomed object to pack it well). Then add ketchup glaze (optional but adds plenty of flavor) and spread into an even layer. If not using the glaze, brush the top with a little oil to help the loaf retain moisture.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove and carefully slice and serve.
• Leftovers keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350-F (176 C) oven until warmed through.

MEATLESS MEATLOAF WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

Steps:

• For the loaf: Over a gas burner or under an electric broiler, char the eggplants until the skin is black, turning as needed to cook all sides evenly. Wrap in foil and set aside to steam for 20 minutes. Remove from the foil and gently brush the skin off or rinse under warm water.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Pulse the eggplant, tofu, and mushrooms into small pieces. Add mixture to the walnuts along with the remaining loaf ingredients. Mix together until evenly combined. Transfer the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan or casserole dish and bake for 1 hour.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the flour over the mushrooms and stir until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the marsala and broth and bring to a boil, cooking until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and fresh thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper.
• Unmold the meatless loaf, slice, and serve with the mushroom gravy.

VEGAN LENTIL, RICE AND TOFU LOAF (1950S MEATL LOAF BROUGHT TO 2010S)

Steps:

• Makes 8 servings of 1 slice each. If you're really hungry you may want 2 servings, but I find 1 slice hearty enough most of the time.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Rinse the lentils. Cook with 1.5 to 2 cups of water til boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft (but don't need to be total mush).
• While the lentils are cooking, dice the veggies. Saute in a spritz of oil. If it starts to stick just add a TBSP of water periodically. This way you can cook in less oil.
• Drain the tofu during this time as well by wrapping in a clean dishtowel and placing on a plate. Weigh down with a large book or big cans of tomatoes or whatever heavy thing you have on hand that can balance on the wrapped tofu.
• When the lentils are done, remove the tofu and squeeze out any remaining water. Add it to a large mixing bowl and add the cooked lentils as well (may need to drain the lentils first). Mash them all together. Don't worry if you can't get every single lentil mashed.
• Add all of the rest of your ingredients to the bowl (except the ketchup for the topping) and mix thoroughly. Mash it all up, mix it up, whatever.
• Lightly oil a loaf pan and add the contents of the mixing bowl. Use your hands to mash it all down. Ideally it will all fill the loaf pan just the top, but loaf pans vary. Basically fill it to the top if you can.
• Add the ketchup and spread in a very thin layer across the top.
• Bake for 60 minutes at 350.

VEGAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350
• Chop onion, celery, mushrooms, red pepper, and carrot (diced). I used the small blade on my favorite vegetable chopper.
• In a large skillet, cook onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and celery, and salt and pepper until browned. (You may use a little vegetable broth to avoid sticking )
• In a food processor, pulse the prepared lentils, quick oats, flaxseed, bread crumbs, cooked vegetables, tomato paste, bbq sauce, mustard, and parsley in a food processor.
• The finished product should be chunky; do not over Pulse.
• Use a silicone backing or placed parchment paper in the base of a glass loaf pan. If you don't have a loaf pan, you may form the dough into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet.
• Place dough into the loaf pan and gently press the top to form a bread shape on top.
• Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 35 minutes, covered.
• Uncover after 35 minutes, and drizzle additional bbq sauce on top.
• Return to oven for 10 minutes uncovered.
• Remove from oven; recover and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
• I find it easier to remove it from the pan before cutting.

TOFU & LENTIL VEGETARIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Combine tomato paste, water, wine, garlic, basil, oregano, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and and reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, then set aside.
• Wash and sort through the lentils, removing any sticks, pebbles, etc. and bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the lentils, loosely covered, for about 20 minutes or until soft but not disintegrating. Drain any excess water.
• While the lentils are cooking, make the tofu "ground beef" by draining it very well and drying it off with paper towels, then (here comes the fun part), smash it into a bunch of pieces, so it has a ground beef or scrambled egg like consistency.
• Mix the tofu pieces in a bowl with the pepper (I just shake some on, roughly 1/2 tsp), olive oil, and soy sauce. Brown in a frying pan/skillet for a couple minutes until it somewhat resembles ground beef and let cool for a few minutes.
• Combine the cooked lentils, crumbled and cooked tofu, breadcrumbs, zucchini, egg whites, and about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well.
• Shape the mixture into a loaf and place into an ungreased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
• Pour the remaining tomato sauce mix over the top of the loaf, and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Place onto a serving plate and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into 8 slices and serving.

BEST VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Chop garlic cloves, onion and carrot in very small pieces.
• Sauté garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until fragrant. Then add onion and carrot and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
• Chop shallots and add it to the other vegetables. Cook for two more minutes.
• Place the cooked vegetables in a big bowl and add 2 cups of the cooked lentils. Using a hand blender, puree the vegetable/lentil mixture until it forms a smooth paste. Then add walnuts and blend again. This can be done with a food processor as well.
• Add all the spices, the rest of the lentils, breadcrumbs, the flaxseed egg, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and salt and stir to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, pressing with a spoon to get a compact loaf.
• For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together and spread it with a spoon over the top of the loaf.
• Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden brown on the edges.

TOFU MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Drain tofu and mash.
• Combine all ingredients and mix well.
• Place in a loaf pan coated with oil.
• Bake at 350F for one hour.
• Cool in pan for 15 minutes.
• Garnish with ketchup, BBQ sauce, and/or chopped parsley.
• When cold, can be sliced for sandwiches.

VEGAN LENTIL MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Add dry lentils and vegetable broth to a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain the cooked lentils.
• Add roughly chopped onion and mushrooms to a food processor with a standard blade attachment. Pulse until mostly broken down into tiny pieces but not pureed.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, and salt. Cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add walnuts to the food processor. Pulse until mostly broken down, then add to the skillet with the tomato paste. Cook another 2 minutes.
• In the food processor, pulse together the cooked lentils and chickpeas until mostly broken down. They should be crumbly but not a paste. Set aside. Make oat flour by blending or processing rolled oats until fine. Combine ground flax and water in a small bowl to make a flax egg. Let rest 5 minutes before using.
• To a large mixing bowl, add the mushroom mixture, lentils, chickpeas, oat flour, light brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and flax eggs. Stir until well combined.
• Transfer the filling to a lightly oiled 9x5x3 (or similarly sized) loaf pan. Form into a loaf shape. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, until golden on top.
• Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the bread pan. Gently turn out onto a clean surface. Use your hands to lightly press the loaf together so that it is perfectly shaped and firm.
• Mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush the loaf with the sauce. Slice and enjoy!

VEGAN TVP AND TOFU "MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Serve with vegetarian gravy.