🍞 Eat More Plants: Issue #37
Good afternoon, friends, and welcome to new subscribers!
As promised, I'm sharing a recipe for a vegan main that is decadent enough for any holiday gatherings you might be attending. It was given to me long ago by a friend, and I'm not sure where he got it from, but my guess is it goes back to the '70s, because it is nut loaf. Yes, as I said last issue, people will mock it. But they will also enjoy it. And how could they not? It's basically extra-rich stuffing.
I like to serve mine with a plant-based gravy, though you don't necessarily need to. My favourite is the miso gravy by Toronto restaurant Fresh, published in their cookbook Refresh and, lucky for us, reproduced in the Toronto Star. But there are lots of versions out there on the internet you might want to try.
If you're looking for something sweet, these Salty Black and White Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from the L.A. Times (also vegan!) are excellent, even if I couldn't figure out how to sprinkle salt on top and get it to stick when they'd already been rolled in icing sugar. They are studded with chunks of licorice and almond paste, but don't let that scare you off if you like neither or simply don't have them around. I could see making them plain, or with chunks of chocolate, or chopped nuts... these cookies are your oyster, basically.
And if you need more ideas for meals to cook during your downtime (I hope you have downtime coming up), a reminder that all the recipes I've shared in the newsletter are saved on this Pinterest board. Personally, I'm feeling a bit lazy, so I think there will be lots of simple lentil soups in my future, and I've got taco shells and fake ground beef (Impossible, though the Big Mountain Cauli Crumble also works fantastically) stashed in the pantry for a couple of taco nights.
Happy Solstice!
Nut Loaf
1/4 c. vegetable oil (such as olive)
1 large onion, diced
3 c. raw cashews (pieces are fine and often less expensive)
1 1/2 c. bread, crusts removed (save crusts for stuffing, below)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. vegetable stock
pepper and nutmeg, to taste
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Stuffing:
3 c. bread (crusts and heels are good)
1 to 2 small onions
herbs (sage, parsley, thyme, marjoram as desired)
1/4 to 1/2 c. oil (enough to bind the mixture)
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Line loaf pan with waxed paper.
Sauté 1 large onion and garlic in 1/4 c. oil until tender.
In food processor, grind cashews and 1 1/2 c. bread. Transfer to a large bowl and add stock, lemon juice, seasoning and sautéed onion and garlic. Let sit for about 30 mins. in the fridge.
Make stuffing: In food processor, grind bread, onions and herbs. Add oil until mixture binds together.
Put half the nut mixture in the pan, followed by the stuffing, followed by the rest of the nut mixture.
Bake 30 mins. until lightly browned.
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Eat More Plants is a sporadically published newsletter by Kat Tancock, sharing recipes and inspiration for vegetarian and vegan dishes, restaurants, products and more. Please reply with your own tips so I can include them in a future issue, and send this newsletter to your friends.
Missed an issue? View the archives online.
Looking for something to cook? All previous recipe recommendations are saved on this Pinterest board.
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