Happy recipe Tuesday! I’m excited to share a recipe that’s familiar with you (or at least I hope) because today I gave meatloaf a bit of a NS makeover! If you love meatloaf or if you’re a meatless eater, than give this healthy (and most importantly delicious) nut loaf recipe a go this week for a tasty dinner and leftover lunch. I have a feeling you’re going to love this Simple Vegetarian Meatloaf complete with a thick and slightly sweet tomato sauce that is a stunning combo. Keep reading for the recipe and a bonus side dish recipe of how to make perfect roasted rosemary potatoes every time!
Nourishing Nut Loaf
Growing up in Ohio, my mom would make the most delicious meatloaf with roasted potatoes and carrots and a big green salad. It was one of my favorite comfort food recipes she’s made to date. She had a way of making this meatloaf on the fly, no recipe required. Sometimes she’d add more egg or more sauce, but everytime it tasted like “mom’s”. Over Thanksgiving my boyfriend Jesse kept raving about his mom’s nut loaf, being that she’s been vegetarian for decades, and I was ecstatic to try it – needless to say it didn’t disappoint. I immediately told her “I have to share this with the NS community, it’s so simple and SO good, can I have the recipe?” Here we are, combining the two great meatloaf and nut loaf recipes from the most wonderful women in my life. I hope you enjoy it too!
I’m not here to knock meatloaf, but I do want to share with you a recipe that’s been more aligned with what feels good for my body and lifestyle and that’s also seriously delicious and reminiscent of traditional meatloaf. Regardless if you’re a meat eater, vegan, or vegetarian, everyone can enjoy this recipe and give it a go. It’s loaded with fiber, healthy fats, protein, and did I mention it’s really simple to make? The kicker is the sauce.
The sauteéd veggies and spices give this loaf a ton of flavor, and when topped with the tomato sauce you get a vegetarian recipe that really rivals the real thing! Plus, two cups of nuts and seeds really packs in the protein. For example, 2 cups of walnuts has 36 grams of protein. Combine that with 18 grams of protein from the eggs and 16 grams of protein from the nutritional yeast and you have on protein packed loaf of 12 per serving (for 8 servings). If you’re vegan and wish to not use eggs, you can use a flax egg, but keep in mind the eggs really do a great job in keeping this meatloaf crumbly yet still bound together well. Using a flax egg may result in a crumbly, yet still delicious, nut loaf!
- [b]For the Nut Loaf:[/b]
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups ground nuts and seeds
- 1 ½ cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- [b]For the sauce:[/b]
- 1/2 cup organic ketchup or make your own from the NS Cookbook
- 1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- [b]For the Nut Loaf:[/b]
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook rice to package directions.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauteé the diced onion and celery until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauteé another minute. Add sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- In a food processor (or high-speed blender on low speed) grind nuts and seeds to a coarse texture, being careful not to over blend into a nut butter.
- Place remaining ingredients (including remaining oil) in a food processor and pulse to combine or mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Spread into a greased loaf pan and cook for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and put sauce on top of loaf. Return to oven and continue cooking for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Can be stored in an airtight glass container up to 1 week.
- [b]For the sauce:[/b]
- Add all sauce ingredients into a small mixing bowl and combine well using a whisk. Pour the sauce on top of the cooked loaf and return to the oven to continue baking for 10 minutes or until the sauce on top is sticky and has warmed through.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container and reheat in the oven or on the skillet until warmed through.
Ingredients I used for this recipe: nutritional yeast, tamari, organic ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, plates are from Rookwood Pottery
A quick recipe for the roasted potatoes and carrots! Quarter yellow gold (or I used tri-colored potatoes) and leave carrots whole if small, or quarter if large. Gently toss the potatoes in olive oil to coat, sprinkle sea salt, ground black pepper, and a tablespoon of dried rosemary. Toss to coat and pour on a lined baking sheet (can line with foil, parchment, or grease it well with oil). Bake in the oven at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes or until soft and crisp on the outside.
MORE MEATLESS DINNER RECIPE FAVORITES:
Spaghetti Squash and Chickpea Meatballs
Baked Pea Falafel with Sesame Rice Balls
Deconstructed Beet Bourguignon and Pilaf
Dinner do or don’t?
What do you guys think of a vegetarian “meatloaf” for dinner? Is this something you would make for dinner? Let me know what you think in comments. And if you do try it, be sure to share in the comments what you think and share it on Instagram with #nutritionstripped so I can see! I hope you enjoy this one.
xx McKel
