For many years I was a vegetarian, and after taking a food ethics class I became a strict vegan for a little over a year.
I prefer to eat plant-based because it supports animal welfare and the environment. And honestly, I just like the way my body feels after a real deal vegan meal.
With that said, I'm no longer a strict vegan due to health issues (unrelated to eating vegan), but I still try to eat around 75 percent vegetarian.
And although I've definitely tried to be more adventurous with food choices over the last couple of years, one thing I cannot eat is ground meat. So it's nice to have other options, like my vegan meatloaf.
I whipped up a loaf this weekend with a few updates to make it a little easier. Because let's be real, cooking is time-consuming, and that's a luxury not everyone has.
xxoo — christine
P.S. There are about 8 servings per recipe which — depending upon what choices you opt for the recipe — will equate to about 300-350 calories per serving, 11 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fiber.
INGREDIENTS 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup green onion, chopped 2 cups carrot, grated 1 apple, grated with peel 1/3 cup raisins 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup walnuts, chopped 2 15-oz. cans of beans, rinsed (I used chickpeas and white beans) 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed 1 cup breadcrumbs 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (for the glaze)
DIRECTIONS
Grind walnuts in food processor and set aside (lightly pulse, they should look chopped).
Chop celery and onion and grate carrots and apple, and put aside in a bowl.
Add olive oil to sauté pan, turn to medium-high heat and add the veggies and fruit you just chopped/grated. Stir and add in the seasoning and raisins.
Take off heat, add ground walnuts and set mixture aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Add beans and flax to food processor and combine (does not need to be smooth).
Pour mixture into a bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs, salt and the sautéed veggies. Mix until well-combined.
Line a glass bread pan with parchment and fold in the mixture. Top with BBQ sauce and bake for 60 minutes.
Take out of the oven and serve with mixed greens or cauliflower mash.
A few notes:
Beans: you can use any canned bean, but I'd suggest sticking with chickpeas, white beans or lentil. And go ahead and mix and match based upon what's in your cabinet. You can also opt to use dried beans, and if this is a better option, I'd suggest cooking them in a vegetable broth to add flavor.
Nuts: I suggest walnuts, but pecans are also good and if you can't do nuts either you can opt for seeds or use oats (just decrease the amount to 1/2 cup and grind them into a flour). The walnuts are better when toasted, but totally fine added raw.
Breadcrumbs: I've used gluten-free (see below) and also made my own from old bread, both options work, so it's up to you. If you are watching caloric/carb intake, this is something to be mindful about when choosing).