Veggie loaf, who thought of this? It seems it was one of many recommended meals during WWII to help housewives provide nutritious and varied meals while being faced with food shortages and strict rations.
The veggie loaf was meant to achieve several purposes – use leftovers (veggies & stale bread), replace meat, provide variety and use ingredients that were readily available and economical such as beans and carrots.
From what I recall, there were few vegetarian loaf recipes until the late ’60s. By the end of the 1970s, however, there was at least one veggie loaf recipe in every natural food’s cookbook. Over the years, though, vegetarian loaves gained a bad reputation. Sadly, many early recipes came out of the oven resembling bricks and were just about as appetizing. If you followed a typical recipe as it was written, you wouldn’t have to worry about not having enough food to go around. No one wanted a second helping. Times have definitely changed, with the increased interest in the vegetarian lifestyle of today.
Even though Brion & I are not vegetarians, I have always loved vegetables, so incorporating a veggie loaf into a meal with meat works for me.
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- 1/2 cup brown rice, dry
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 tsp veg salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 300 gm mushrooms, sliced thinly use whatever kind of mushroom you prefer
- 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon or basil chopped
- 1 bunch fresh chard, leaves & stems, coarsely chopped
- 85 gm sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp vegetable broth
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
Ingredients
Vegetable Loaf
Mustard Sauce
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- In a small pot, bring 1 cup water & a pinch of salt to a boil. Add rice, lower heat to a simmer & cook rice until water has been absorbed & rice is tender. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions & cook until translucent. Stir in garlic & celery; season with salt & pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms & herbs; cook until mushrooms release their juices & the liquid evaporates, about 5 more minutes. Add chard & cook until wilted. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, then remove from heat & let cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously grease a loaf pan with olive oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard & broth. Add vegetable mixture & rice; stir to combine. Pour vegetable mixture into loaf pan & smooth flat with a spatula.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until edges are nicely browned. While the vegetable loaf is baking, prepare mustard sauce.
- Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife along the edges & flip onto a serving platter & slice. Serve with mustard sauce.
- In a small pot, melt butter then add flour to form a roux. Cook until bubbly & flour is lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add vegetable broth & mustard. Bring to a simmer & cook for about 5 -10 minutes. Remove from heat & serve with vegetable loaf.
