Vegan Neat Loaf

Cooking Gluten-Free with Chef Cynthia Louise

It's more than a special occasion, this meal is a weekly must! Great for dinner but can also be sliced up and put in your lunchbox to put in a wrap or on a salad.

Serves: 10-12 slices

Ingredients

(use organic where possible)

• 2 large carrots, grated
• 4 cups portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 1 leek
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), finely diced
• ½ cup fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano
• ½ cup fresh basil
• ½ cup cashew nuts, or nuts of your choice
• ½ cup pistachio nuts
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• ⅔ cups gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp psyllium
• 3 tbsp ground flax seeds
• ¼ cup hemp seeds, optional
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• Olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 340 °F (170 °C) . 
2. Line a 30 x 12 x 7 cm (11 x 5 x 3 in) bread tin with baking paper.
3. Mix together the carrot, mushrooms, celery, leek, onion, and capsicum set aside. 
4. Combine all the chopped herbs separately and set aside.
5. Add the cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, breadcrumbs, psyllium, flax seeds, hemp seeds (if using), and coriander powder to your food processor and pulse. Do not blend into a paste. Set aside.
6. Pour olive oil in a large pan and heat on medium-low.
7. Add all your roughly chopped veggies and saute for 5 minutes. Do not brown. 
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the dry breadcrumb mixture and herbs. 
9. Add ½ the mix to your food processor and process for 5 seconds.
10. Transfer to a bowl and repeat the same with the remaining half of the mixture.
11. Taste and season if needed. 
12. Press the mixture into the lined bread tin, cover with another sheet of baking paper and press down firmly. 
13. Leaving the top baking sheet on, bake the loaf for 1 hour. 
14. When done, allow resting for 15 minutes before serving.