Vegetarian Mushroom "Meatloaf"

 

Veggie Mushroom "Meatloaf"  

So often one is trying to eat healthily and can't think of anything to make. This Vegetarian "meatloaf" recipe is satisfying with mushrooms, rice, nuts, and herbs that will awaken your taste buds. Not to mention the good amount of parmesan cheese in this recipe making it extra savory. The texture is the most special part- as if eating a real chunky meatloaf. I would almost consider this a casserole especially since my loaf pan was MIA, and I had to use a medium casserole baking dish. It still turned out great! If you are brave you can take it to a Thanksgiving dinner or for a Christmas Dinner. Your friends and family just might be pleasantly surprised! 

Ingredients: 

3 oz Baby Bella mushrooms

3 oz Shitake mushrooms 

4 eggs

1 cup greek cow yogurt/or goat yogurt

1/2 cup Walnuts, lightly toasted 

1 cup Parmesan cheese grated fine 

1 1/2 cups of cooked white rice/or brown rice

2 Shallots 

3 Cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, fresh 

1 Tsp Marjoram, dried 

1 Tsp Sage, dried 

1 Tsp Thyme, fresh 

1/2 Tsp Black pepper 

1 Tsp Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil 

The recipe requires a bit of time. 

1. You want to first cook the rice so that you have it ready to mix in with the other ingredients. 

2. Do a quick toasting of the walnuts in the oven. I used my bottom griller on low for 2 minutes. The first batch I left in there for too long, and had charred bits. No Bueno. Use your timer.

3. Pre Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

4.  Saute with a tablespoon of olive oil the mushrooms, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. Not for very long. Just 2 minutes to soften. *(I think this step does release some flavor, but I have even put this mushroom mixture into a bowl without this step and it turned out just as well!) 

5. In a big bowl: beat the eggs with salt and pepper, then combine the rice, nuts, yogurt, cheese, parsley, and mushroom mixture from above. Add one more Tablespoon of olive oil. 

6.  Line your loaf pan or casserole pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan 

7. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. For the last 15 minutes, I cover the pan with foil.  

Serve hot, with a side of cranberries (I made those the day before). I served it with butter lettuce, cucumber salad, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Any side dish will do! 

Happy Holidays!

~Tarabud 🌲🎁