Tag Archives: meatless

Recipe: Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Meatloaf

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Vegetarian Meatloaf RecipeThose who visit my blog’s fan page on Facebook got a glimpse of this Sunday night and convinced me to blog about it so, here it is! Originally from Family Circle magazine, this sweet and savory meatloaf recipe converted into a vegetarian meatloaf recipe with ease. The major substitution was using two 12 oz. packages of Boca crumbles in place of 1 1/4 pounds of ground beef. I also kept the egg in the recipe because I’m not familiar enough with alternative binding foods. If anyone could recommend something that might hold this together, I’m all ears!

I made these in mini loaf pans, which unmolded perfectly but, as you can see, were very tender when sliced. Still, they were quite delicious. And, the serving is very generous… could definitely get by eating only half the mini loaf. (For those following the Weight Watchers program, one mini loaf is 9 points according to my calculations.)

Oh, and, as some of you may know, hubby isn’t a squash fan… he hates the stuff, but enjoyed his mini loaf. He said he could taste the squash. Yet, we also debated whether or not he would have “tasted” it if he didn’t know (prior to eating it) that it was made with squash. Next time, I ain’t sharing my secret ingredients with him. :-p

Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Meatloaf – Serves 4
2 – 12oz. packages Boca crumbles
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened applesauce
1 large-ish zucchini, peeled and shredded
2 large-ish carrots, peeled and shredded
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg
1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic pwder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mist four mini loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Combine Boca crumbles, oats applesauce, squash, carrots, ketchup, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Scoop mixture evenly into the four mini loaf pans, packing it down into the molds. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before turning the loaves out onto a plate.

Recipe: Roasted vegetables with vegetarian sausage

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Roasted apples, potatoes, leeks and sausage recipeHow do you entice a meat-eating husband to eat his vegetables? Throw in vegetarian sausage, of course! I love roasted vegetables, but the thought of making a meal out of ‘em would have my hubby running for the hills! Especially since some of the best roasted vegetables, like red bell peppers, are not allowed to come near his dinner plate.

This is a recipe I spied in a magazine earlier this year, but just got around to cooking it this week. It comes together quickly—the longest part is the cooking time—and by throwing in a package of Italian vegetarian (or vegan) sausages, it makes for an easy meatless weeknight meal that is sure to please any omnivore at your dinner table. :)

(Yes, I took a short cut and used package veggie sausages… feel free to give this a try with your favorite homemade vegetarian sausage recipe, too!)

Roasted vegetables with vegetarian sausage

2 crisp red apples, quartered
2 yellow potatoes, cut into thin wedges
2 leeks, halved crosswise and lengthwise (use only the white and light green parts!)
1 pkg your favorite faux sausages (I used Lightlife’s Smart Sausage’s, Italian), cut in half
1/2 TBSP dried thyme
2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degree F. Slice and cut your veggies, place them in a large roasting pan and then toss them with the salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil, coating well. Once oven reaches cooking temperature, place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
  2. Retrieve the pan from the oven and gently stir vegetables, adding the halved sausages into the mix. Place back into oven and roast for about 10 minutes more, or until the sausages are heated through and the vegetables are tender.
  3. Plate immediately and serve hot. Enjoy!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Irish Stew

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I can’t believe how busy I’ve been lately. A huge work project came to fruition–finally!–so I’m hoping the craziness will calm down a bit.

One of the things I hate about being so busy–aside from the lack of blogging time–is that I tend to get lazy in the kitchen. Hubby and I dined out a lot last week which isn’t ideal but it helped me to stock up on fodder for the “He eats, she eats” posts! ;)

My favorite method for being lazy in the kitchen is to cook with my crock pot. I’ll happily trade a few moments of preparation the night before to have a hot vegetarian dinner waiting for me when I come home the next evening.

With the first day of Fall on the horizon, this recipe for a meatless Irish stew is one of those vegetarian recipes that is perfect for warming you up on a cool Autumn day. Want to really win an omnivore over with this recipe? Serve with a chunk of homemade bread. One of my favorite homemade bread recipes: No-Knead Bread.

! Tip ! Use a vegan meat substitute for a completely animal-free stew!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Irish Stew

1 – pkg favorite brand of “crumbles,” or your favorite meat substitute, up to two pounds.

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cups potatos, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

2 cups carrots, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

3 cups tomato juice/sauce

2 cups canned or frozen peas

Cut up all the veggies (except for the peas) into 2-inch chunks and add to crock pot. Open “crumbles” package and pour on top of veggies in slow cooker. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and tomato sauce. Cook on low for 6-9 hours (I let it go for the full 9 hours because I usually cook this while I’m at work). About 15-30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add the peas into the slow cooker and let cook for those last 15-30 minutes. Although I always make this in my crock pot, it also can be cooked it in a 250 degree oven for 6 hours.