I am always looking to “plantisize” a familiar dish that will appeal to those that may be new to plant-based eating , transitioning or are , like me, in a “mixed relationship”. This recipe definitely fits all the criteria: easy to prepare, very similar in texture to the “m” version and best of all – delicious! If you prefer this over spaghetti and tomato sauce, give the Veggie Neat Ball version try. Either way, this dish does deliver a tasty mouthful and will keep you coming for seconds..

 

Makes 1 small loaf    Serves 4-5

Prep time:  25 minutes     Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

 ½ cup bulgur

1 cup of water

2 Tbsp. flax meal mixed with 6 Tbsp. of hot water

1 cup shredded carrots , approx. 2-3 small carrots

1 small onion, finely diced

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. each of dried oregano, thyme and basil

1 15 oz.can of chickpeas (no-salt added, BPA-free liner), drained & rinsed,mashed in food processor

2 Tbsp. of strong mustard

2 Tbsp. of tomato paste

fresh ground pepper

 

Directions

 Preheat oven to 375 F

• In a small pot combine bulgur with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to low; cover and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Take off heat and let rest.
• Mix together 2 tbsp. of flax meal with 6 tbsp. of hot water; stir and let sit for few minutes, until mixture thickens (this is called a “flax egg”)
• Heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots, garlic and hot pepper flakes in a little vegetable broth or water , until translucent; approx. 3-4 minutes
• In a medium bowl combine cooked bulgur, mashed chickpeas, sautéed vegetables, flax eggs, herbs, mustard, tomato paste and ground pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• Pat mixture into a silicon loaf pan. This makes a small loaf, so there will be room on all sides in the pan.

 

• Bake for 30 minutes until slightly browned
• Let rest for a few minutes before slicing
• Serve with your favorite tomato sauce or salsa. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t have a food processor, use a potato masher or fork to mash-up the chick peas to a fairly smooth consistency.

1 flax egg= 1 Tbsp. of flax meal mixed with 3 tbsp. of water

This mixture also makes great veggie neat balls. Shape into 16 balls, about golf ball size, (or less, if you like them bigger) and bake for 30 minutes on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet at 375 F.

Veggie Loaf (and Neat Balls) will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. I think, it gets better the next day and makes a great lunch option as well.