Oh the infamous nut loaf! I realized a few years ago that it is a bit of a staple in a lot of vegetarian's diets, and despite that fact, has become a bit of a punch line amongst the meat eating community. After growing up in a meat and potatoes household, I explored vegetarianism when I went to college (I know, shocking stuff). I would do ok for a few months, and then retreat back to meat either at Thanksgiving or the 4th of July. I just cannot resist roasted turkey and juicy burgers! Despite my weakness for meat, I do still enjoy vegetarian dishes, and usually try to incorporate 1 a week into our dinner menu. The real trick though, is getting my dad and sister to enjoy them. I tend to run into a lot of problems because my sister HATES lots of vegetables, and my dad, while he will eat just about anything, he is just not very open minded about meals that completely omit meat. Meatloaf is his favorite dinner, so here's hoping!
Savory Nut Loaf
Yields 6 servings
To Prepare the Nut Loaf
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan.
3. Dice 1 small onion, and add it to the frying pan.
4. Dice 1 cup of shitake mushrooms, and add them to the frying pan. You don't have to use shitakes, but I would avoid the canned mushrooms! This recipe is a delicate balance of wet and dry, and the moisture will throw your end result!
5. Dice 2 cloves of garlic, or if you are using the pre-diced add 1 tablespoon. Add it to the frying pan.
6. Chop 2 cups of nuts. I chose cashews and walnuts! You can either chop them by hand, or you can pulverize them in a food processor. I went the route of hand chopping, which gives them a texture ranging from sand to small pebble. If you want more consistency, go with a food processor or magic bullet! If you suffer from a nut allergy, you could use soy nuts.
7. Pour the chopped nuts into a large mixing bowl.
8. Pour the frying pan mixture in with the nuts once the onions have turned translucent and the mushrooms have started to brown.
9. Add 1 cup of cottage cheese to the bowl. You can use any cheese you like...don't feel obligated to go this route if you don't like it! If you would like to make this recipe vegan, you can use a vegan cheese!
10. Add 2 cups brown rice to the bowl.
11. Add 2 large eggs to the bowl, and mix everything together well!
12. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease it with a little butter.
13. Pour the mixture from the bowl, into the greased loaf pan. Even out the top of the loaf mix and place it in the oven.
14. Bake the loaf for approximately 1 hour, until the loaf is firm and golden brown!
To Prepare the Bechamel Sauce
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan.
2. Once the butter is melted, thoroughly mix in 1 tablespoon of flour.
3. Once the butter and flour is bubbling and thick, mix in 1 cup of milk.
4. When the milk has come to a boil, mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar and mix continually until they cheese is melted and fully incorporated into the sauce!
