Vegetarian Meatloaf

Now before you go running for the hills thinking I've lost my marbles making a VEGETARIAN meatloaf, give me a minute to tell you how yummy this comfort food dinner is! Meatloaf is another one of those meals I didn't think I'd get to eat again after making the decision to not eat meat. But a few years ago, I came across this recipe claiming to taste a whole lot like meat loaf. Of course, I was really skeptical, but I decided I would give it a try. It surprisingly tasted quite a bit like that good ol' homecooked goodness that I grew up with.
Of course, it is also much more healthy than all that ground beef. This dish is full of lentils, and before you frown your nose at the idea of lentils ... for one, the taste combined with all the other flavors of this recipe, is really quite tasty. Secondly, lentils have the third-highest level of protein of any other plant-based food. Someone who bases their proteins on plant-based proteins would absolutely benefit from this protein laden dish! Health magazine also named lentils as one of the top 5 most healthiest foods as well.
Of course, the real test was whether or not the meat-eaters of the house would enjoy it. I'm very happy to say that Tiffani gave it a thumbs up! That's saying a lot for a rib and pulled pork lovin' kinda girl. As one who picks Famous Dave's as her birthday restaurant every year, I'm always impressed when I can satisfy her tastebuds with something as outlandish as a Veggie Meatloaf.
So without further ado, please open your minds, and check out this taaasty comforting main dish!

Vegetarian "Meat"loaf

2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lentils
1 small onion, diced
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, jack, american)
1 egg, beaten
4.5 ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer covered 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of the water is evaporated. I accentuated simmer because this is very important. I learned the hard way that if you continue a rolling boil on your lentils, your water will all evaporate within 15 minutes, and if you're not watching closely, you'll burn everything and scorch your pan.... don't ask how i know that..... Lesson of the story is, SIMMA those lentils! Check frequently to make sure your water hasn't evaporated out before their done.
Anyway, so now you remove from the heat, drain and partially mash lentils. Scrape into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Stir in onion, oats, and cheese until mixed. In my opinion, getting your hands in their is the best way to get everything mixed up well.
Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, and pepper. Mix well - again, wash your hands, take off your rings, and get in there!
Spoon into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Smooth top with back of spoon and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm, and golden brown.
Coo in pan on rack for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of pan then turn out loaf onto serving platter.

I served this up with some yummy smashed potatoes and rolls. Oh yummy in my belly! Comfort food at it's best. Please give this a try and let me know what you think. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Easy Weeknight Stroganoff

Something about me. I used to really really dislike mushrooms growing up. I wouldn't eat anything that had mushrooms in it. But as my palate has matured (ha, i don't really talk like that - but it sounded good huh?).... As I was saying, as I've grown up and tried a lot of new foods over the years, mushrooms have become one of my favorite foods. Luckily, I have passed my new-found love of mushrooms on to my son. He'll eat them raw, he'll eat them on pizza, in pasta, dipped in ranch, you name it!
As a vegetarian though, there have been quite a few dishes that I just thought I'd have to do without for the rest of my life and just deal with the sacrifice. While a whole plate of ribs or a slab of steak isn't on my menu plan anytime soon, there are quite a few meat-lover favorites that have been able to make their way into my mouth with just a few simple revisions. This "Hamburger" Stroganoff is one of those dishes. It is so super simple, and I was able to whip it up quickly last night after work.
on a side note, my hand is really bruised because I slammed in a drawer while putting clothes away... serves me right for actually DOING my laundry. I should've just stuck to leaving them all clean in baskets and living out of the baskets for the next week. Does anyone else struggle with putting away their clean laundry? I have no problem putting it in the washer, transferring it into the dryer, and sometimes I'll even get it folded and everything. But to actually PUT IT AWAY?! Nope, that I just can't do for some reasons. I think I have a problem. Anyway, my hand hurts.
so, where was I... right, your next family-pleasing delicious dinner coming up...

Easy Weeknight Stroganoff

Ingredients
1 16-oz package egg noodles
1 package soy crumbles (of course, you can substitute for a pound of lean ground beef)
1 packet dry brown gravy mix
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 6-oz can chopped mushrooms, with liquid
1/2 cup milk
1 8-ox container sour cream
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, and then drain.
So I have a trick to share with you. Maybe everyone already knows this, but I didn't, and I'm thrilled! See that wooden spatula thingy there on my pot of boiling water? It's actually serving a purpose there. You know how your pasta water boils over just about every time unless you stand there blowing on it to prevent that? (is that just me??) Well, place a wooden spoon, spatula, tool of some sort over the top of your pot and it won't boil over! It will get awfully close though. Anyway, try it out!
In a skillet over medium heat, brown the soy crumbles until it's all thawed (or ground beef until no pink shows - drain). When I'm "browning" my soy crumbles, I just put it right into the hot pan still frozen. No oil or anything in the pan. But I do like to add a splash of water in there. This gets things moving, makes the larger frozen chunks easier to break up, and you just get a better meat-like feel to it. But really, just a splash - you don't want runny meat!
Mix your brown gravy mix, cream cheese, and mushrooms with the hamburger until cream cheese has given the mixture a whitish look. I get my gravy mix bulk, and just used about a 1/4 of a cup. As for the cream cheese, I used fat free, and the results turned out great! It may take a little bit longer to all melt down, but if you're looking for a bit of a healthier alternative, cutting corners everywhere you can really helps!

I would have also taken a picture of everything all mixed together, but you know what, it's really not all that pretty to photograph, and someone once said that you should only photograph things that are pretty. Just know that if it looks a little ewwie, you are on the right track! I promise it tastes SO much better than it looks at this point!
Anyway, now you'll add the milk, sour cream, and mushroom soup to the cooked pasta.
Then blend the hamburger mixture with the pasta and eat up!! This makes a lot! If you have a small family (3-4), I would consider halving it. We all had a bunch, we have plenty to take in lunches tomorrow... and possibly for the next week. Luckily for us, it's aMAZing, so I think I'm ok with that!