Hippie Loaf and the Best Potatoes Ever

Dinner last night is a favorite in our house and I have made this combination several times before. The potato dish is one of the most delicious potato recipes I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The recipe is the Maple Mustard Potatoes & Green Beans from Vegan with a Vengeance.  If you have not tried this recipe before, you are seriously missing out! The dish is very easy to make although it does have a long baking time, so plan ahead. These are worth the wait though. The long baking time produces potatoes that are amazingly creamy and  saturated with maple mustard flavor. Pure. Heaven.  It would also make a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish. The recipe is perfect as is, but I cut the oil in half by replacing one tablespoon of the oil with water. I promise you can’t tell the difference.

I also made the Hippie Loaf from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. This is also a very easy recipe to throw together, although my way is a little more complicated because I prefer to pre-saute the veggies. And I always add ketchup on the top of veggies loaves. I love how it gets so beautifully dark and glossy and caramelized in the oven.

Hippie Loaf

Adapted from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook

 Ingredients:

½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 small onion, diced small

2 stalks celery, diced small

1 small red bell pepper, diced small

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white mushrooms, chopped

2 cups (or 15 oz can) of black beans

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp each parsley and thyme

3 tbls whole wheat flour

3 tbls ketchup

2 tbls tamari or soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup ketchup, for the top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine quinoa and water in a small covered pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until tender.

In a small skillet, sauté the onion, celery, and bell pepper in a small amount of oil for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes, or until the veggies are softened.

In a large bowl, mash black beans until no whole beans remain. Add the cooked quinoa, veggies, and remaining ingredients (except for the 1/3 cup ketchup) and mix well.

Pack into a greased 9 x 4 inch loaf pan. Gently spread the ketchup on top until evenly coated.

Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes to allow the loaf to firm up.