Meatless “Meatloaf”

Wow that weekend went by quickly. I did literally nothing productive, and everything indulgent. I drank wine, I ate Girl Scout Cookies, I read an entire book, and caught a ton of rays. GREAT weekend overall! Thus far, I have managed to avoid the illness circulating through my group of friends, (although that means not getting to see anyone or baby Leila for a whole week) and am hoping to keep the streak alive.

It looks like another busy week is ahead, and I am prepared for the challenge. Fueled by this crazy vegetarian “meatloaf’ I’m pretty sure I can handle anything. The Hubs literally said “this tastes exactly like the other meatloaf you make” There you have it folks, the man of the house likes a faux meatloaf!

Vegetable “Meat” Loaf recipe from Cooking Light

• Meat loaf:
• 1 large red bell pepper 
• 1 large green bell pepper **I also added a poblano pepper in addition to these other peppers
• 2 pounds cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 cup 1/2-inch asparagus pieces **I accidentally used the asparagus I bought for this so I subbed broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion 
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 4 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• Cooking spray
• Topping:
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon vodka or vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• Preheat broiler to high.
• To prepare meat loaf, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand for 10 minutes. Peel and finely chop. Place bell peppers in a large bowl.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
• Place about one-fourth of mushrooms in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until finely chopped. Transfer chopped mushrooms to a bowl. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining mushrooms.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 15 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms to bell peppers. Wipe pan with paper towels. Add asparagus and onion to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until just tender, stirring occasionally. Add onion mixture to mushroom mixture.
•  Arrange breadcrumbs in an even layer on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden. Add breadcrumbs and the next 8 ingredients (through eggs) to mushroom mixture, stirring well. Spoon mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; press gently to pack. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°.
• To prepare topping, combine 2 tablespoons ketchup and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; brush ketchup mixture over meat loaf. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; cut into 6 slices.