cooking

Recipe – Vegetarian Meatloaf

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)

So one of my goals is to get back to reposting my cooking experiments.  I cook, you know it, and I even speak on it and lately my audience suggests I speak on it more. So here goes – and here’s one of my latest experiments, vegetarian meatloaf.

My goal lately has been to go back to experimenting with meatlike vegan food.  Why?  Well, meat has that combination of texture, savory, and filling, so why not?  Also I recenly experienced some great meatloaf, so I wanted to re-create the experience.

This recipe is “OK.”  I need to do more, but it’s a good solid vegan meatloaf and pretty filling and nutritious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp crushed garlic
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • ¼ cup peanut butter (use the kind that’s only peanuts)
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed
  • 1 can (14 oz) pinto beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup sauce your choice, optional

 

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine all ingredients but oat meal and beans. Mix thoroughly.
  3. Add beans to mixture, mash thoroughly. It may help to mash them separately if the tools you have don’t work – I recommend a large for or potato masher.
  4. Stir oatmeal into mixture until blended.
  5. Place mixture into oiled bread pan. Cook for 25 minutes.
  6. Remove and add glaze if desired.
  7. Cook for another 25-50 minutes until a fork comes out reasonably clean.  It won’t be perfect, but you won’t have a lot clinging to it.
  8. Remove and let sit abount 10 minutes so it firms.  Serve.

– Steve

Bacon Peanuts – Vegan

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)

I’ve missed posting my recipes, and I want to get back to my blogging, so behold – my latest creation.  A vegan snack dish consisting of peanuts that taste like bacon.  Seriously, it’s a bit creepy how good it tastes.

Theres little in the way of additives or added sweetener, so you’ve got a heck of a healthy snack here.  That tastes like bacon.

  • 2 cups roasted, unsalted peanuts (you can use unroasted peanuts, but may taste different)
  • 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp liquid smoke.

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Miss the soy sauce, syrup, and liquid smoke together on a bowl.
  3. Pour peanuts into bowl with sauce mixture. Stir until thoroughly coated.
  4. Pour coated peanuts and any remaining mixture into a 9×9 glass casserole dish.
  5. Place in oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
  6. Remove when the liquid has turned sticky. Do not cook until completely dry.
  7. Set aside to cool, stirring every few minutes until peanuts stop sticking.
  8. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Should keep 3-7 days. (not sure yet)

 

– Steve

Lemongrass Green Pea Stir-Fry

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)

This surprising meal is repurposed from a side dish, tweaked, and streamlined.  The result is a sweet pea-and-onion stir-fry that goes fantastic on rice.  Served with a green it’s a full meal without being heavy and is pretty easy to prepare.

The only challenge is finding the lemongrass and preparing it.  You can either chop it fine or chop it in a blender with water (used then to dry-sauté).  Lemongrass does not cook like onions to and still stays woody when they’ve long ago softened.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 trimmed stalks of lemon grass.
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine.
  • 4 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
  • 4 cups frozen or fresh green peas

Preparation:

  1. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, and maple syrup in a separate bowl.
  2. Add shredded lemongrass and about 2 tbsp of water to a blender and use it to chop the lemongrass.  If you can get finely shredded lemongrass skip this part.
  3. Dry-sauté the onion in the lemongrass-water mixture, adding water as needed until onion softens.
  4. Add all other ingredients, sauté until the sauce reduces and the peas are coated.

– Steve