Meatloaf and Mashed Taters (Vegan)

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Not to toot my own horn on my V4C debut, but I'm confident that Guy Fieri would proclaim this vegan version of a classic to be "out of bounds."

I loosely followed some recipes from VegCooking.com, but CG and I have found some of them to be not quite to our tastes in the past (and, after getting home from four stops to pick up the ingredients to supplement CG's already-ample pantry, I realized that I still didn't have everything).

It was easy to prepare and satisfying and I'll definitely make this again. (Except for the gravy, which was a hassle...next time I'll just get a packet of Hain Veggie Brown Gravy.)

Mock Meatloaf

• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 packages Gimme Lean Beef
  
• 1/4 cup oatmeal, dry
• 2 slices country white bread, torn into small pieces
  
• 3 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper

Coating ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Sauté the onion and green pepper in the oil until soft, adding the garlic toward the end. Combine in a large bowl with the Gimme Lean, oatmeal, bread, ketchup, and black pepper. Thoroughly mix.

Press the mixture into an oiled loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the coating and set aside.

Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out onto a baking sheet. Spread the coating over the top of the loaf. Cook on the baking sheet for another 15 minutes.

Creamy Chive Mashed Taters

• 6 potatoes, diced
• 3/4 cup of Silk liquid non-dairy creamer
• 1 Tbsp. margarine
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
• Ground black pepper
  

Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes (until tender). Drain and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients, and mix until smooth.

Brown Gravy

• 1 Tbsp. margarine
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. Spike Vegit Magic! (or yeast extract or other low-/no-sodium seasoning)
  
• 1 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
  
• Ground black pepper, to taste
  

Sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes in the margarine, then add the flour and sauté for another few minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the broth and add to the pan, bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer for 10 additional minutes.

Strain the mixture into a separate saucepan and add the yeast extract, tamari, and pepper. Simmer for a minute while stirring to incorporate.

Wine: 2003 Bremer Merlot

I'm not big on wine suggestions (but I'll skip that impassioned rant), however, in case anyone is interested, I enjoyed this meal with the excellent 2003 Bremer Merlot, decanted for about 3 hours. My earlier tasting note, from September 2008: "Deep and rich with smooth, elegant tannins. Drinking beautifully right now. Nose of blackberries, oak, and alcohol. Taste of blackberries, mid-ripe cherries, a touch of green olive, oak, and tobacco. Finish of cooked blueberries (pie?)." Not a life-changing wine, by any means, but very solid Merlot and more than fair for the price.

Bremer was a great visit on my last Napa trip. It's a small, family winery with a complimentary tasting (by appointment only)...it feels a bit like RRV (and how I'm told Napa used to be), but with Napa wines. We tasted seven wines--all of which were well done, especially the Bordeaux varietals. It would make a great stop on a Howell Mountain day, along with Lail, O'Shaughnessy, and Outpost.