MEATLESS MUSHROOM MEATLOAF

This is a game changer recipe!  I dare any meat lover to realise this is vegan!  A great family diner for those meatless Mondays.  GreenForce’s vegan pea based mince mix is outstandingly brilliant and easy to use, just add some seared mushrooms in olive oil with onions and garlic a dash of ketchup or brown sauce and Worcestershire sauce for a great meatloaf, this mix also makes a brilliant Salisbury steak too.

Now the debate for the tomato topping!  If your in a hurry then a good farmers market ketchup will do the trick, but a lovely saucy marinara is a whole other level giving not just a lovely top to the meatless loaf but extra sauce to mop up while eaten with buttery mashed potatoes, perfect.  If you want to use a marinara sauce make this first, recipe below.

Prep time 5 minutes / Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients 

(serves 4-6)

200g chestnut mushrooms finely diced

1 onion finely diced

3 cloves garlic finely diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 pinch sea salt and black pepper

2 tbsp tomato ketchup or HP brown sauce

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 pack of GreenForce Vegan Mince Peas and Love

Heat a skillet medium hot, add the olive oil onions and garlic soften without colouring for around 7 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to one side.  To make the mince add 300ml of very cold water to the pack of greenforce pea mince along with your sautéed mushrooms, season and add the tomato ketchup or brown sauce depending on your taste and a dash of the Worcestershire sauce, popthe mix in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Free form as your loaf of press in to a dish.  Pre heat your oven 180 C.

For a speedy dinner paste the top with ketchup pop in the oven for 30 minutes, at 20 minutes paste the top again with more tomato ketchup and finish baking.  If you want to use a saucy marinara make the sauce first, top a generous layer on your meatless loaf and bake.

Marinara Sauce

50ml olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tins of tomatoes crushed

1 tbsp tomato purée

100 ml good red wine

50 ml dry white wine

1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning 

Pinch Himalayan sea salt 

Pinch fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp sugar (optional if needed)

Make your marinara, heat a pan medium hot add the olive oil and butter once melted add the onion and garlic and soften for eight minutes, add the tomato purée and cook for a couple of minutes, the add the wine and bring to a bubbling simmer, add the tomatoes and leave to cook on a low simmer for at least 30 minutes if you can, this is to cook out the acidity of the tomatoes.  No time to simmer then adding the sugar will cut the acidity.  

I use Italian San Manzano tomatoes as they are less acidic.  I also often make my marinara the day before making a big batch and leaving it to slowly cook out for several hours.  This is the also the base for many other meals and stores well in the freezer for quick future use.