If you read this post for nothing else you need to read it for the bread. The crazy rise in a bucket of cold water even you kids could make it bread.
The Bread: I'm reading the most fantastic cookbook right now entitled Ancient Grains for Modern Meals
. I took her Floating Sesame Loaf recipe and swapped out the seeds for Italian seasonings. You knead the dough for just 2 minutes then set it in a pan of cold water until it floats to the top about 10 minutes later. Set it on the counter for a few minutes more then bake it. So so so so easy. Get the recipe in her book
or online here.
The Meat: Vegan meatloaf sound so gross. I know! This one doesn't contain tofu if that helps. It's actually really tasty and meaty. I left out the nutritional yeast, swapped brown sugar for molasses and didn't have a bay leaf. It didn't matter. The first time I made it I even put PB in place of Tahini Paste. Bulgar can be found at Winco in the bulk bins if you have one nearby. In St. Louis I found a bag of it at an International Market for just over a dollar a pound. I doubled the recipe. One for a loaf and the other made 3 1/2 dozen meatballs for the kids lunches. You can find the recipe in the book Let Them Eat Vegan
or online here.
The Vegan Mayo: Another 'wha? eww!" the first time I heard of it. Which quickly turned to "quit eating out of the vegan sauce jar or I'll make sure you will never fly again!" I knew it was karma when I dropped it on the floor during photographs. To make up I told him I wouldn't judge if he wanted to lick it off the carpet.
There are so many variations of this sauce but I settled with the following:
Cashew Vegan Mayo
1 cup raw cashews soaked in water several hours or overnight
1 TB fresh lemon juice
1/3-2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
optional: minced garlic clove or additional spices
Directions:
Discard the soaking liquid then add cashews along with the other ingredients with the exception of 1/3 cup of the fresh water. Blend on high in a blender until creamy. Slowly add the other 1/3 cup water until desired consistency. Store in refrigerator.
The result is meaty and filling! This would make a great picnic with a side of slaw.
