Tofu "meatloaf" with brown gravy

Last night I made a sprouted tofu-based "meatloaf" for dinner. I had no idea what to expect:). Results: absolute hit with the ENTIRE family!!! Even I couldn't believe how good it was! Per my hubby (who's only a vegetarian at home...you know because he wants to eat;). "This is better than my mom's meatloaf!"

True story:)


New Old-Fashioned Tofu Loaf
(from "The Starch Solution" by John McDougall)

30 oz of firm tofu, drained well and mashed with a fork or bean masher
1-1/3 cups of quick cooking oats
3/4 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup of ketchup or barbecue sauce
1/3 cup of regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Use a nonstick loaf pan, or bruch with oil.

Put the tofu into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients,  Mix with your hand (spoon works fine:) to combine well.
Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the top and edges are golden brown, about one hour. (*note: I baked uncovered for the first 30 minutes, and covered with foil the last 30; came out perfect).  Let cool for five minutes.

To serve, run a spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen, then invert the loaf onto a serving plate and cut into slices.

optional, top with brown gravy (recipe below), ketchup or barbecue sauce...if desired.



Brown Gravy Recipe (from "Happy Herbivore")
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or other flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
pepper to taste
onion powder to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt, to taste.

1.  in a small sauce pan, whisk nutritional yeast and flour together and toast over medium heat until it smells toasty, about 4 minutes.
2.  Transfer to a medium saucepan and whisk in remaining ingredients, except salt.
3.  Bring to a boil and allow sauce to thicken as desired, and add salt.  (for an even thicker gravy, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water and pour it into the gravy.

Garlic-Infused Oil and Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Balsamic vinegar
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Pinch salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• fresh parsley
• Hot crusty loaf Italian or French bread, sliced

Directions

To make the garlic oil, in a small saucepan, gently heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant but not colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a sterilized bottle or jar and discard the garlic. Use within 24 hours. (Or store in a sterilized container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

To make the dipping sauce, place the oil at room temperature in a shallow bowl or decorative plate. Swirl a drizzle of balsamic decoratively into the center. Sprinkle with the pepper flakes, salt, and ground black pepper, and top with a light coating of cheese.

Serve as a dip for hot bread.

White Wine Sauce

This delicate white wine sauce from Cooking Lightuses dry white vine, chicken broth and a splash of white wine vinegar.

Yield: 6 tablespoons (serving size: 1 1/2 tablespoons)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped onion (or shallots)
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  cup  dry white wine
• 2  tablespoons  white wine vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 2  teaspoons  finely chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add finely chopped onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken broth, white wine, and white wine vinegar; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter and fresh chives.

**top on linguini with vegetables