Baked Grain Loaf with Umami Gravy
This hearty loaf calls for small amounts of different cooked whole grains. I like to mix up the variety from time to time to use up leftovers or take advantage of what I have in my pantry. If I'm in a hurry and don't have leftovers or a lot of time to cook, I just substitute cooked Basic BROL for the grains and lentils, since that's a staple I nearly always have on hand. Because the oven will be used for this dish, consider roasting some veggies to serve on the side.
Ingredients
Loaf
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ½ cup walnut pieces
- 2 cups cooked barley groats or oat groats
- 1 cup cooked red quinoa
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown lentils
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Umami Gravy
- 1 cup Light Vegetable Broth
- 2 shallots, finely mincd
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons Umami Sauce Redux
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon salt-free tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or 1 (15-ounce) BPA-free can or Tetra Pak salt-free, drained and rinsed
Instructions
For the loaf
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8- x 4-inch (20- x 10-cm) loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper the same length of the loaf pan and long enough to come up and over the sides by a few inches.
- Combine the onion, garlic, and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add all the remaining loaf ingredients and process until well combined. If the mixture is too wet to hold together, add more nutritional yeast or ground walnuts and combine well.
- Transfer the loaf mixture into the prepared pan. Press the mixture firmly into the pan and smooth out the top. Bake until firm and golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Check its progress at around 40 minutes and if the top is getting too brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time.
For the Umami Gravy
- While the loaf is baking. make the gravy. In a saucepan, combine the Light Vegetable Broth, shallots, garlic, and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, stir in the remaining gravy ingredients, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the gravy to the saucepan and taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
To serve:
- When the loaf is done, remove from the oven, uncover if necessary, and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Run a knife down the long sides of the pan to loosen the loaf. Grasp the end flaps of the parchment paper to help lift the loaf out of the pan. Slice the loaf with a long serrated knife, top each slice with the gravy, and serve hot.