Italian meatloaf, vegan

I now have an actual nursing job in which I don’t work weekends (or Mondays right now).  I do four 10s.  So…I’m making not just dinner for us, but enough for lunches for the week and to give a few meals to my mother-in-law, who isn’t cooking so much anymore.  This was another vegan experiment today.  The single recipe serves four, so I doubled it.  I think for us, that’s the best way to do this recipe.

Source:  Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli

vegan

•  2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 small eggplant, diced into 1/2 inch cubes *
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 tomato (or two romas)
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (I used panko)
• 1/4 c vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt *
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

* I actually didn’t add the 1 1/2 tsp of salt because I cubed and then salted the eggplant to remove the bitterness.  (I didn’t measure the salt.)  The recipe doesn’t do this, but I like eggplant better salted a bit before I prepare it.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.  Brush (or spray) an 8 inch square pan with oil.  Heat oil in a medium-high heat in a large skillet and saute onion and eggplant until soft and lightly browned and veggies have reduced in size.  If veggies begin to stick, add a little water to the skillet.  Stir in garlic and let cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.  Transfer to a large bowl and add beans, rice, tomato, bread crumbs, broth, salt pepper and basil.  Mix and mash the mixture with a large spoon (or your hands) until the mixture holds together.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

Transfer mixture into the prepared pan and pack it down very firmly using the back of a large spoon.  It is important to pack it firmly so that it holds together while baking.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix tomato sauce and brown sugar.  Pour the tomato sauce on top of the meatloaf and cover the top of the loaf pan with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes, covered, then remove foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

I haven’t had an entire serving, just a bite, but I loved this.  It’s more flavorful than expected, brighter (which doesn’t make much sense).  I think it’s going to be filling, too, with the beans and rice.  I think it will also be nice to toss a little parmesan on top, but it may not need it, either.