Vegetarian Recipe: Carrot and Mushroom Loaf

Last week I mentioned a surplus of carrots in our vegetable plot. Some of them had turned woody, although they were fine when grated. Right, I thought. It’s time to make a carrot and mushroom loaf. As it happened we had visitors for dinner. They were all carnivores, but they enjoyed a slice of loaf on the side. This recipe comes from Alison Holst’s Meals Without Meat book, which is a good basic reference for beginners.

My loaf differs in that I added extra mushrooms. I love mushrooms in everything!

Carrot and Mushroom Loaf

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

1 – 2 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons oil

a good handful of mushrooms (200 grams) I used about 12 button mushrooms

1 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper

3 cups grated carrot

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I used fresh since that’s all I had on hand)

1/2 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Topping:

2 Tablespoons dry breadcrumbs (used fresh again)

2 Tablespoons grated cheese

paprika

Method:

1. Chop the onion and garlic finely and cook in the oil until soft.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until softened.
3. Place these in a bowl and add the basil, thyme, salt, pepper, grated carrot, breadcrumbs, grated cheese.
4. Beat the eggs and milk together and add to bowl. Mix well.
5. Place in a well greased tin and smooth out. I usually line my tin with baking paper.
6. Sprinkle the topping ingredients – breadcrumbs, cheese and paprika – on top of loaf.
7. Cover tin with foil and bake at 180C (350F) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes.

Notes:

1. I used fresh bread crumbs rather than dried ones and it didn’t seem to matter.
2. My oven cooks quickly so I didn’t cook my loaf as long as the recipe said. The cooked loaf should be firm in the center when pressed with your fingers.
3. I served my loaf with green vegetables and a baked potato.
4. This loaf also tastes good cold and served with salad.
5. This is an excellent recipe for disguising vegetables when trying to please fussy eaters!