Vegetarian "Meat" Loaf

I posted last weekend that Aaron and I are going vegetarian and right now we're still trying new foods and experimenting. I've been dreaming up all kinds of vegetarian meals for us. We picked up some barley from the bulk bin at Whole Foods a couple weeks ago so I wanted to make a dish with it that wasn't soup since Aaron a little tired of it. I got inspired from a recipe that I found in my Mennonite More with Less cookbook for a Savory Rice Loaf and decided I'd give it a try with a mix of whole grains (no breadcrumbs).

This Veggie "Meat" Loaf was made with barley and quinoa, veggies, milk, cheese and egg to hold it together. It's a lighter than traditional meatloaf, but the grains make it hearty and nutritious. I served with tomato sauce, roasted sweet and golden potatoes, and a green side salad.

The verdict? Aaron and I really liked it! And more than that, I felt very satisfied from that meal. I'll add it to our list of dinner items. And quinoa especially is high in protein so it's a vegetarian staple.

Cook extra barley and quinoa for salads, easy side dishes, or to mix in stews and soups. Or, use them in your morning cereal. I mixed quinoa with mashed banana or pureed pear for Ava.

Vegetarian "Meat" Loaf - Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked grain (I used 1/2 barley + 1/2 quinoa)
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup grated cheese (or less) good varieties are deeper flavor cheeses. I used Amish Butter Cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
  
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
  
• 2 tbs chopped green olives
  
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs olive oil

Preparation:

• Prepare grains. Barley and quinoa are cooked with a 1 cup grain to 2 cups water/broth ratios. Barley will take longer than quinoa to cook.
  
• Coat a 9x5x3 loaf pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over l0w-medium heat. Add olive oil. Saute garlic, shallot, celery, and carrots.
  
• While veggies are cooking, in a large mixing bowl, add cooked grain, parsley, and olives.
• After veggies are soft, add to grain mixture. To mixing bowl, add milk, eggs, cheese, and cooked vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to the loaf pan.
  
• Cook loaf uncovered for 1 hour in 350 degree oven.
  
• Loosen loaf around the edges and turn onto a platter and serve with warmed tomato or mushroom sauce.