Rice-Nut Loaf

Yes, this a vegetarian loaf – don’t freak out.  It’s an oldie and a goodie.  As I’ve mentioned, I was a vegetarian for 13 years and grew accustomed to making a plate at holiday meals of nothing but a bunch of sides which sounds good but ultimately isn’t satisfying.  Then, one year for Thanksgiving, my aunt pulled out one of her favorite vegetarian cookbooks and made this Rice-Nut Loaf.  At first glance, there really isn’t anything appetizing, interesting or appealing about the name of this dish or the list of ingredients.  But once combined, these ingredients have come to make not just my favorite vegetarian dish ever but my favorite Thanksgiving dish ever.  Hands down.

Brown rice is mixed with wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cheese and onion and then binded with eggs and baked to golden brown perfection.  Served alone, with gravy or a scoop of mashed potatoes, this meatless meatloaf-like dish is a perfect high protein addition to any dinner table, especially for the picky vegetarian in your family.  Even better, true to Thanksgiving form, slices of this loaf sandwich perfectly between two slices of bread, spread with cranberry sauce and stuffing for the days after.  Give this a try and maybe you might start to think of vegetarian loaves as a little less weird.  It’s tasty enough for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.  This year, I ate this instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.  And I’m not even vegetarian anymore.

Rice-Nut Loaf (makes 6 servings)

From Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Combine all ingredients and pack into a 9-inch loaf pan coated in oil or non-stick spray.  Bake for about 50 minutes until firm.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; unmold and slice.

The ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Combine all ingredients and pack into a 9-inch loaf pan coated in oil or non-stick spray.

Bake for about 50 minutes until firm.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Unmold and slice.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

Cheddar and Chive Smashed Potatoes

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and didn’t eat too much or spend too much money shopping all of the sales that have been advertised for days and days.  Once again, as Thanksgiving came to a close and I was left eating mounds of leftovers until yesterday, I kept wondering why in the world I only eat these delicious foods once every November?  Is it because only eating them once makes them more special?  Or is it laziness?  These foods really aren’t hard to make so I’m really not sure the answer.  This week I have a few foods I made over Thanksgiving that I think deserve a fair shot at being put on the dinner table throughout the year, starting with Cheddar and Chive Smashed Potatoes.

Red potatoes are cooked until perfectly soft and coated in a warm milk, butter and garlic bath before being hand mashed until creamy and still slightly lumpy.  Cheddar cheese, chives and sour cream are added to make these potatoes even more decadent, fluffy and flavorful.  The worse part about making mashed potatoes to me is the pealing but this recipe keeps the skin on so that painful process is eliminated (although you do still have to scrub them).  This recipe made a TON of potatoes which I barely made a dent into and still sadly have in my fridge.  These would make for great base for potato pancakes or just as a side to a good ol’ chicken dinner.  Winner winner.

The ingredients:

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch.  Cover pot and heat to boiling on high.  Add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook  potatoes, partially covered, 30 minutes or until tender.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add garlic; cook 1 minute or until golden, stirring.  Stir in milk and heat for 1 minute.  Remove  from heat; set aside.

Drain potatoes well and return to pot.  Add milk mixture, 1/2 teaspoon  salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  With potato masher, mash until smooth.

Stir in cheese, sour cream, and chives.  

Serve hot.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Reduced-fat cheddar cheese
  • Light sour cream
  • Fat-free milk

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source: Good Housekeeping Magazine

Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt

I’m staying local for Thanksgiving this week and by local, I mean home.  I’m not planning on leaving my house or making a ton of food, but just enough for me to think I made too much.  I couldn’t scale down my menu because things like stuffing and scalloped corn are foods I only eat once a year so they have to be made.  I also have to make something called Rice-Nut Loaf which probably sounds gross to you but it was my main protein source for 13 Thanksgivings while I was a vegetarian and I still want it each year (I might even share it with you soon!).  This year, I decided to forgo the turkey and just stick to the loaf.  Weird, probably, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.  So, since I’m not planning on having any turkey, therefore no leftover turkey for sandwiches, I picked up some sliced turkey last weekend to make myself this Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt.  Hardly a leftover turkey day sandwich but it fit my bill.

Sliced deli turkey is layered with thin slices of Granny Smith apple, lowfat Swiss cheese and homemade honey-Dijon before being toasted in a pan until crispy and golden brown.  The apple provides a crunchy tartness while the cheese melts just enough to make each bite gooey.  You might find yourself left with some turkey, a random apple you didn’t use for the stuffing and a little extra cheese from your cheesy mashed potatoes and realize you’ve got what it takes to make this sandwich.  Even if it’s on a leftover dinner roll and all you have is yellow mustard, give it a try.  By Friday, I’ll be making a rice-nut loaf-smashed potato-scalloped corn sandwich which won’t even come close to this one.  But I bet you I’ll love it anyway.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

The ingredients:

Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Spread one side of each of 4 bread slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard mixture.

Place one cheese slice on dressed side of bread slices; top each with 5 apple slices and 2 ounces turkey.

Top sandwiches with remaining 4 bread slices.  Coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sandwiches to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until bread is browned and cheese melts.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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