Dinner tonight

[Guest guest]

We had my father-in-law and his new wife over for dinner this evening, and of

course, I try to prove how great vegetarian food is, so I chose a dish from

Giada on the Food Network.  Turned out juicier than expected (I was out of

lentils to help bind), but it was very very good.

 

Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce Checca Sauce:

1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups, or 12 ounces), halved3 scallions (white

and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped3 cloves garlic, chopped8 fresh

basil leaves3 tablespoons olive oilPinch salt Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Lentil Loaf:

3/4 cup lentils (about 5 ounces)3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth1 cup

uncooked short-grain brown rice, rinsed well1/2 cup finely chopped white

onion1/2 cup shredded carrots1 celery rib, sliced1/2 cup frozen corn kernels2

tablespoons butter, divided10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 cups)1

1/2 cups cubed whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided (about 8 ounces total)2

eggs, lightly beaten1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2

tablespoons1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon freshly

ground black pepper1 tomato, sliced

 

Directions

 

For the Checca Sauce: Combine the cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic,

basil, and oil in a processor. Pulse the tomatoes until they are

coarsely chopped, being careful not to puree. Set aside. Season the

sauce with salt and pepper.

For the Lentil Loaf: Place the lentils in a large saucepan of

cold water. Bring the water just to a boil over high heat. Carefully

drain the boiling water and rinse the lentils. Meanwhile, in a heavy

large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a boil.

Add the

rice and return the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to low, cover

the rice, and gently simmer without stirring for 10 minutes. Stir in

the lentils, onion, carrot, and celery. Cover and continue cooking

without stirring until the rice and lentils are tender and the liquid

is absorbed, about 30 minutes longer. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the

corn over the rice and lentils and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and let stand for 5 more

minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Spread 1 tablespoon of the butter over a 10 by 4 1/2 by 3-inch

loaf pan. In a heavy, large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat

until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze the excess

liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a work surface and

coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, gently mix the lentil mixture, spinach, 1 cup

of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil,

salt, pepper, and half of the checca sauce. Spoon the mixture into the

prepared pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a row over the lentil

mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 2

tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Dot the top with the remaining 1

tablespoon of butter. Bake uncovered until the loaf is heated through and the

topping is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for

15 minutes. Slice the loaf into 2-inch slices, arrange on plates, and

serve with the remaining checca sauce.

 

I served this with vegan scalloped potatoes.  Needed more salt, and I used

non-vegan cheese, so that one throuhg me for a loop.... still creamy and what I

was wanting (comfort

food)http://www.vegancoach.com/vegan-side-dish.html#%20anchor-scalloped

AND, how can you have over guest and not serve dessert? 

Alton Brown's Banana's Foster.Ingredients

 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) dark brown sugar1/4 teaspoon

ground allspice1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg1 tablespoon banana liqueur2

under ripe bananas, sliced in half lengthwise1/4 cup dark rum1/2 teaspoon finely

grated orange zest

 

Directions

 

Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar,

allspice and nutmeg and stir until sugar dissolves. Add banana liqueur

and bring sauce to simmer. Add bananas and cook for 1 minute on each

side, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they are cooking. Remove

bananas from pan to a serving dish. Bring sauce to a simmer and

carefully add the rum. If the sauce is very hot, the alcohol will flame

on its own. If not, using stick flame, carefully ignite and continue

cooking until flame dies out, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. If sauce is

too thin, cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it is syrupy in consistency.

Add orange zest and stir to combine. Immediately spoon the sauce over

bananas and serve. Serve with waffles, crepes, or ice cream.

P.S.  I really like the vegan coach site.  If you haven't. you should check it

out :)P.P.S. I think I am going back for seconds.  Looking at the recipes again

made me hungry for more

Cassie