Vegetarian Meat Loaf

I told you I would be using more vegan imitation meats soon! The reason this original recipe was deemed only 'vegetarian' was because, though it used meatless ground burger, it still used eggs. In my version, of course, I use egg replacer to render it fully vegan.

In a food processor, combine 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup sliced carrot, 1 peeled and quartered medium-sized onion, and 3 garlic cloves; process until finely chopped. I did this in two batches, since my food processor is a bit small. I also forgot to add the garlic cloves, but those were easy to mince with a knife separately!

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture, and saute 5 minutes.

Combine the onion mixture in a large bowl with 1/2 cup ketchup (try the one from Organicville, which is certified vegan), 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs, the equivalent of 2 eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G), 1 (12-ounce) package of meatless ground burger (I used the one from Yves', which is certified vegan), and 1 (12-ounce) package of meatless fat-free crumbles (here I used Lightlife's Smart Ground, also certified vegan). Mix well.

I often see chefs on the Food Network get their hands dirty mixing up meatloaf mixtures - tonight was my turn, and it was fun!

A quick note, because I couldn't really see much difference between the 'meatless ground burger' and the 'meatless fat-free crumbles' while perusing the vegan section of the grocery store. I assume that the reason the original recipe called for these two difference kinds was because one is fat-free, and thus lowered the overall caloric values of the recipe. That's my guess, anyway.

Place the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. I patted mine into an even layer. Spread 1/4 cup more ketchup evenly over the top, then bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, before dividing into 8 equal slices of 200 calories each.

Here are a few useful links:
www.yvesveggie.com
www.organicvillefoods.com
www.lightlife.com

Cost:
celery $2.50
carrot $0.77
onion $0.59
ketchup $3.99
meatless ground burger $3.79
meatless fat-free crumbles $3.00