Tomato Glaze-Crusted “Meat”loaf Casserole

Post by Megan Stulberg

I’ve been working like a crazy person lately, hence the delay in writing up recipe posts. But hey, a girl’s got to eat! If there’s a silver lining from this, it’s just that I have tons of recipes up my sleeve for y’all in the near future.

This was my Christmas day feast, yum yum. Being the only vegan in a family of carnivores is both good and bad. The bad is that they don’t want to eat the food I make, the good is…more for me! I ended up eating leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Boxing Day. Not a single regret.

I paired this dish with my sweet potato mash that’s already up on Vegan Girlfriend here, as well as some roasted asparagus! I also paired it with a gravy/stuffing hybrid that I’ve nicknamed “gruffing” that was oh-so-good but honestly was an accident so I don’t have a write-up for that.

Ingredients…

For the loaf: 

• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free vegetable broth
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup canned lentils
• 1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted nuts of your choice (I chose walnut)
• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp basil
• Cracked pepper and sea salt, to taste

For the glaze: 

• 1/2 cup organic ketchup (or tomato paste)
• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions…

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Rinse canned lentils. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Once oil begins to sizzle, add garlic and onion. Sauté 5 minutes until brown, then add carrot, celery and mushrooms. Add broth at this point.
4. Use a high-speed blender or food processor to chop toasted nuts into small pieces.
5. Add sautéed veggies to blender, along with rice flour, flax, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, thyme, basil, sea salt, pepper and of course, the lentils! Pulse until coarsely combined. If the mixture needs to be thickened, add additional brown rice flour by the tbsp and combine by hand. Be careful not to over-process, you want some chunks of veggies and stuff to stay intact for texture.
6. Coat casserole dish with olive oil to prevent sticking. Use large spoon to transfer mixture from food processor to casserole dish, then flatten out.
7. Bake casserole dish in oven for a total of 40 minutes.
8. During this time, make the glaze! Simply whisk organic ketchup, maple syrup and sea salt together in bowl.
9. Remove casserole dish from oven after 15 minutes, add glaze in a thin layer on top, then place back in oven covered and let bake for remaining 30 minutes.
10. Wait for dish to cool, then slice and serve with side dishes accordingly.

Dig in! Serve warm, makes 4-6 servings.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Gluttonous Stuffing Muffins

Post by Aine Davis

No turkey? No problem! But seriously, what kind of Thanksgiving meal would be complete without stuffing?

Ingredients…

• 2 loaves of gluten-free bread (check ingredients for dairy/egg)
• 2 cups gluten-free vegetable stock
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 flax “eggs” (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 4 tbsp dried parsley
• 4 tbsp poultry seasoning (vegan)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions…

1. In advance, cut bread into 1 inch cubes and place in bowl. Let bread sit uncovered overnight to harden.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In large saucepan, sautée onions and garlic in vegetable oil on medium heat until translucent.
4. Add chopped celery and carrots. Cook until tender.
5. Mix vegetable stock with bread cubes together in a large bowl until the cubes are thoroughly moist. If desired, add additional vegetable stock.
6. Add vegetables, flax “eggs” and seasonings to bread bowl. Mix together until combined.
7. Grease or line a standard muffin tin. Fill each cup with batter accordingly.
8. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until browned. Test with toothpick.

Makes 12 muffins.

Serve with Megan’s Chunky Mushroom Gravy!

Holiday Feast: Five Fast Recipes at your Fingertips

By Megan Stulberg

So I survived my first vegan holiday! Somebody congratulate me! Being the overachiever that I am I opted against a generic tofurky dish and instead created a five-part Christmas meal that’s vegan, gluten-free, healthy and versatile. The results (and the leftovers) were to die for.

~Chunky Mushroom Gravy~

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, diced
• 1.5 cups gluten-free vegetable broth, chilled
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup red wine or cooking sherry (red wine will give it a slightly heavier taste)
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried parsley (feel free to substitute for other spices/herbs that better suit your tastebuds)
• 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• Dash of salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Rinse mushrooms and dry thoroughly.

2) In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic, onion and herbs for about 4-6 minutes until softened. Add a splash of vegetable broth.

3) Add the mushrooms and red wine to the skillet. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes.

5) Combine the nutritional yeast, tapioca flour and soy sauce in a bowl. Add mixture to the skillet and wait a few minutes for the gravy to thicken, stirring frequently.

6) Pour in the remaining vegetable broth. Keep stirring. If the gravy is not thickening properly, add a dash more nutritional yeast.

7) Add the salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

8) Serve hot hot hot!

The gravy can be made in advance and chilled, just heat up before serving. Makes 4-6 side servings.

~Lime Chickpea Salad~

(Adapted from Oh She Glows. Angela is a genius.)

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/4 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 tsp dijon or honey mustard (I used dijon, because y’know, vegan)
• 1 tsp olive or coconut oil
• Dash of salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Chop the spinach very finely in a food processor. Place the chopped spinach in a large bowl with chickpeas and onion, then set aside.

2) Using the food processor again, make a dressing by adding the lime juice, garlic, cilantro, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Process for about 20 seconds.

3) Pour dressing into the large bowl and stir all ingredients together. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then serve.

Serves about 3-4 main dishes or 6 side dishes.

~Pear, Orange & Apple Infused Cranberry Sauce~

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries
• 1 pear, peeled and chopped
• 1 gala apple, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup organic 100% maple syrup
• 1/4 cup organic sugar (can substitute by adding a dash more maple syrup instead)

Directions: 

1) Add cranberries, orange juice and maple syrup to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes.

2) Add the apple and pear once the cranberries begin to melt. Add sugar if desired. Stir regularly.

3) Reduce heat and let simmer on low for 5 minutes until texture is thick and gooey. Remove from heat and chill until ready to serve.

~Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes~

Ingredients:

• 4 small sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp organic 100% maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (optional)
• Dash of salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Wash, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into small chunks.

2) Bring water in a medium pot to a boil. Submerge the sweet potatoes for 5-8 minutes until tender.

3) Remove from heat and rinse the potatoes under cold water. Place in a large bowl and mash thoroughly. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, almond milk and additional seasonings. Combine ingredients until the desired consistency is reached.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6 sides.

~Gluten-Free Stuffing~

I made the exact same recipe that I posted on Vegan Girlfriend a couple of weeks ago! For my original gluten-free stuffing recipe, click here.

Easy Vegan Holiday Season: Day 5

By Megan Stulberg

As a Celiac, I haven’t had stuffing with Christmas dinner in far too long…and it was always my favourite part! So this year I decided to finally bite the bullet and try making my own. It was much easier to make than I had expected. Here’s my recipe for a delicious gluten-free vegan stuffing that skips all of that heavy cream/chicken broth malarkey.

Gluten-Free Vegan Stuffing

• 1 loaf whole grain gluten-free bread
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2/3 cup white mushrooms, finely diced
• 2/3 cup organic seaweed, crumbled
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, crushed
• 1 cup gluten-free vegetable broth
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1) Prep: If you’re using a frozen gluten-free loaf of bread, remove from freezer and let thaw for 1 hour at room temperature before use. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a cooking spray or vegan butter to lightly grease a shallow baking dish.

2) Cut 8-10 bread slices into small cubes. Set aside in a large bowl.

3)  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a medium skillet over high heat. Turn down to medium heat once the oil sizzles. Sauté garlic for 1 minute, then add celery and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir consistently until the mushrooms darken.

4) Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce and lemon juice. Let everything cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Remove mixture from heat and pour overtop of the bread cubes. Add the seaweed, salt, pepper, oil, parsley and basil. Toss all ingredients together until the bread is thoroughly soaked. If desired, add a splash of water.

6) Transfer mixture to the shallow baking dish and place in oven. Cook covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes if you prefer stuffing to be more brown.

7) Remove from oven and let dish cool for 30 minutes. Try serving with tofurky, cranberry sauce and roasted veggies.

Makes 6 side servings.