[cathyeats]

Wondering if anyone has had any luck making something resembling meatloaf, but without meat. I'm intent on developing a vegetarian version, since I can no longer eat red meat (cholesterol...grrrr). So I'm looking for ideas for ingredients. Thanks!
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Cathy
www.whatwouldcathyeat.com

[clotilde]

You could try something called "nutloaf" -- it's a nut-based vegetarian alternative to the meatloaf that was quite popular in the 70's I think.

Here's the recipe I've had bookmarked for years, but haven't gotten around to trying yet.

Hope that helps!
Clotilde.

[KYHeirloomer]

If you're off meat because of cholesterol issues you might have a problem with a faux meatloaf because eggs are usually used as a binder.

Some wild mushrooms, such as portobellas, are a good sub for meat, and you might experiment with them. I know I have a mushroom pate recipe, for instance, that is all but indistinguishable from chopped chicken liver.

Beans are probably the most often used meat substitute. Here's a recipe for one version:

Red Bean Loaf

1 lb dried red beans
1 cup cooked bulgar or brown rice
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
4 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and white pepper to taste.

Cook beans. Drain and mash them, but don't worry about lumps.

In a large bowl combine the mashed beans with the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Put the mixture into two oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 60-70 minutes.

Each loaf serves 4-6, so don't be afraid to halve the recipe.

[cathyeats]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to experiment next weekend, and I will report back the results!
_________________
Cathy
www.whatwouldcathyeat.com

[dory]

I have read that despite their cholesterol content, eggs do not usually raise cholesterol. Apparently saturated fat is more dangerous than cholesterol. However, in using eggs as a binder, there are always egg whites, which are the part that contribute most to texture anyway. (I refuse to consider using Egg Beaters with their icky artificial color.)

Dory