For Lyndie (and Lyndie's Mum-in-law), with Love

Awhile back we received a comment from Lyndie asking us about a recipe for our Vegetable and Egg Enchiladas. This particular dish is actually in the final working stages of being added to our [impending, fretfully long awaited] dinner menu and thus, is going under thorough investigation and trial. As such, we hardly feel that we can "publish" such recipe, given that we're changing and adapting it as we speak.

That said, we hate to leave Lyndie, and more importantly, Lyndie's mother-in-law hanging, so we wanted to share a different recipe, one that's been tried and tested in our kitchen several times and has pleased crowds without fail.

We've served this "meatloaf" to my (semi-carnivorous) father, my (ultra) picky mother, and several (trust-worthy) foodie friends. All have walked away with smiles, and without missing the meat. We like this dish because it speaks to the comforts of home, and fireside chats during long-awaited nesting periods. That and the fact that it meets the challenge of feeding a (super-diverse) group head on.

Please enjoy. And that goes for all of you, not just Lyndie.


Roasted Vegetable Vegetarian/Vegan Meatloaf
Recipe adapted from Mr. Bobby Flay as well as from my Mama's recipe

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 green zucchini squash, finely diced
1/2 yellow squash, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup assorted mushrooms, chopped (we like shitake and crimini)
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tube or 14oz. LightLife* "Gimme Lean" ground beef protein (vegan)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, crushed
3 Tbs. ketchup
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (omit if vegan)

Balsamic Wine Glaze
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup red wine


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the onions, squash, peppers, garlic paste and cook until almost soft, 4 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.


In a large bowl, add veggie mix to the "meat", bread crumbs, cheese (if using), toasted walnuts, 3 Tbs. of ketchup, and mix until combined.


Mold the meatloaf on an oiled baking sheet. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, wine, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1.25 hours. Continue you baste as necessary. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with garlic-sweet potato & yam mashed potatoes, and fruit salad.

*Disclaimer: Despite some controversial political ties, we think this product does work best for this recipe. If you have a better alternative, PLEASE, by all means, send it/recipe our way.