ABOUT THE RECIPE:
I love this loaf! It is the ideal main dish to serve for a festive party, but you can serve it for a casual family supper too. This savory and colorful loaf is packed with great flavors and it’s easily made gluten-free, if needed.
MAKES 5 TO 6 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS:
LOAF
1½ cups cooked and cooled quinoa (see notes)
1½ cups raw cashews
1 cup (packed) freshly ground whole-grain or gluten-free bread (from about 2 slices, see note)
4 to 5 tablespoons wheat germ or oat bran (use gluten-free oat bran if needed), plus more as needed
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoons vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk, plus more as needed
Zest of one large lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FILLING
½ cup diced sweet onion
2 tablespoons water or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced sweet red pepper
½ cup shredded vegan cheese
⅛ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 8-x 4-inch or 9-x 5-inch loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper, allowing a 2-to 3-inch overhang on the two lengthwise sides of the pan.
To make the LOAF, put the quinoa in a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher or fork. Put the cashews in a blender or food processor and process until they become coarse crumbs. Add the cashews crumbs, fresh bread crumbs, and wheat germ (or oat bran) to the mashed quinoa and gently stir until combined.
Put 1 cup diced onion, olive oil, tamari and vegetable broth in a medium sauté pan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add more broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the mixture gets dry. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add the onion mixture to the cashew mixture and stir together until combined.
Put the dairy-free milk, lemon zest, marjoram, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir until combined. Stir the dairy-free milk into the cashew-bread crumb mixture. If the mixture still seems dry, add more dairy-free milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is slightly wet, but holds together easily when squeezed together with clean hands. (Alternately, if the cashew loaf mixture seems too wet, add more wheat germ or oat bran 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together.) Set the cashew loaf mixture aside.
For the FILLING, put 1/2 cup onion, sweet red pepper, olive oil and water (or broth) into a medium sauté pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the vegan cheese.
Firmly press half of the loaf mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the filling and
using a rubber spatula, spread the filling over the loaf mixture in an even layer. Top with the
remaining loaf mixture, spreading the mixture into an even layer with a spatula.
Fold the excess parchment paper over the top of the loaf and gently press down. This will keep the loaf moist while baking. Then press down again to make the loaf more compact. This will help the loaf to hold together.
Bake the loaf for 20 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and carefully peel back the parchment paper that is covering the top of the loaf. Put the loaf back in the oven for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until the loaf is slightly golden in color, firm to the touch and heated through.
Remove the loaf from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a serving platter and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Cut the loaf into very thick slices, using a serrated bread knife and wiping the knife clean after cutting each slice. Loaf will be very, very soft, so handle gently! Serve warm. Covered and refrigerated leftover loaf will keep about 2 days. This loaf makes great sandwiches the next day!
NOTE: To cook the quinoa (Yields 1½ to 1¾ cups of cooked quinoa.): Thoroughly rinse 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa under cold running water. Place in saucepan with 1 cup of vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 17 minutes, or until all of the broth is absorbed. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool for 15 to 30 minutes before assembling the loaf. Alternately, the quinoa may be cooked up to 24 hours before preparing this recipe. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate the quinoa until you are ready to assemble the loaf.
NOTE: To make 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, tear 2 to 3 slices of fresh, whole-grain bread into chunks. Put the bread chunks into a blender and process (on low) into coarse crumbs.
Ingredients
Directions
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
I love this loaf! It is the ideal main dish to serve for a festive party, but you can serve it for a casual family supper too. This savory and colorful loaf is packed with great flavors and it’s easily made gluten-free, if needed.
MAKES 5 TO 6 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS:
LOAF
1½ cups cooked and cooled quinoa (see notes)
1½ cups raw cashews
1 cup (packed) freshly ground whole-grain or gluten-free bread (from about 2 slices, see note)
4 to 5 tablespoons wheat germ or oat bran (use gluten-free oat bran if needed), plus more as needed
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoons vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk, plus more as needed
Zest of one large lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FILLING
½ cup diced sweet onion
2 tablespoons water or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced sweet red pepper
½ cup shredded vegan cheese
⅛ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 8-x 4-inch or 9-x 5-inch loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper, allowing a 2-to 3-inch overhang on the two lengthwise sides of the pan.
To make the LOAF, put the quinoa in a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher or fork. Put the cashews in a blender or food processor and process until they become coarse crumbs. Add the cashews crumbs, fresh bread crumbs, and wheat germ (or oat bran) to the mashed quinoa and gently stir until combined.
Put 1 cup diced onion, olive oil, tamari and vegetable broth in a medium sauté pan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add more broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the mixture gets dry. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add the onion mixture to the cashew mixture and stir together until combined.
Put the dairy-free milk, lemon zest, marjoram, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir until combined. Stir the dairy-free milk into the cashew-bread crumb mixture. If the mixture still seems dry, add more dairy-free milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is slightly wet, but holds together easily when squeezed together with clean hands. (Alternately, if the cashew loaf mixture seems too wet, add more wheat germ or oat bran 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together.) Set the cashew loaf mixture aside.
For the FILLING, put 1/2 cup onion, sweet red pepper, olive oil and water (or broth) into a medium sauté pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the vegan cheese.
Firmly press half of the loaf mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the filling and
using a rubber spatula, spread the filling over the loaf mixture in an even layer. Top with the
remaining loaf mixture, spreading the mixture into an even layer with a spatula.
Fold the excess parchment paper over the top of the loaf and gently press down. This will keep the loaf moist while baking. Then press down again to make the loaf more compact. This will help the loaf to hold together.
Bake the loaf for 20 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and carefully peel back the parchment paper that is covering the top of the loaf. Put the loaf back in the oven for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until the loaf is slightly golden in color, firm to the touch and heated through.
Remove the loaf from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a serving platter and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Cut the loaf into very thick slices, using a serrated bread knife and wiping the knife clean after cutting each slice. Loaf will be very, very soft, so handle gently! Serve warm. Covered and refrigerated leftover loaf will keep about 2 days. This loaf makes great sandwiches the next day!
NOTE: To cook the quinoa (Yields 1½ to 1¾ cups of cooked quinoa.): Thoroughly rinse 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa under cold running water. Place in saucepan with 1 cup of vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 17 minutes, or until all of the broth is absorbed. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool for 15 to 30 minutes before assembling the loaf. Alternately, the quinoa may be cooked up to 24 hours before preparing this recipe. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate the quinoa until you are ready to assemble the loaf.
NOTE: To make 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, tear 2 to 3 slices of fresh, whole-grain bread into chunks. Put the bread chunks into a blender and process (on low) into coarse crumbs.
