The Wonders of Beanwah

Chaos.  That is work right now.  If I were Charlie Brown, there would be no black raincloud above my head, rather a swirling vortex.  I know you're all wondering how that detox went--it made the vortex bigger.  After dabbling in some self-reflection on day three, I realized that I am my best self when not confined to mung beans three times daily; so I quit.  I became aware of two things:  (1) I spend a lot of time cooking and preparing food.  (2) I thoroughly enjoy the fruits of my labor.  Sometimes, just the thought of creating and savoring a delicious and healthful meal is enough to get me through the work day.  Other things that get me through:

• kind, encouraging, healing words from my Mom (thanks Mom)
• my yoga practice
• opening the doors and windows to let in the sound of the rain (tonight)
• my husband's stupid jokes & lunchbox notes (thanks boo)
• things that start with the letters 'co' (i.e. co-mmiserating, co-mmunity, co-mplaining with co-workers, co-mfort foods)

The last of which was the inspiration for today's post (that and a recipe co-ntest entitled 'Meat Loaf Makeovers').  Ask my mom, I hated meat loaf as a kid.  It was weird...meat & loaf are two words that really shouldn't go together--not to mention that gross sugary ketchup on top.  So here's the deal, I used the basic recipe for the Beanwah Burgers & just tweaked the amounts of what I pureed in the food processor.  Instead of forming it into patties, obviously it gets pressed into a loaf pan.  I also retooled that nasty sweet ketchup sauce.  Thus, I give you:

Beanwah 'Meat' Loaf with Spicy Mustard Remoulade
Hold on to your hats! 

1 cup quinoa
1 bunch of green onion, divided
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes      
2 15-oz cans of black beans, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T herb & spice seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
Nonstick cooking spray

Boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Add quinoa, cover and simmer for 15-20 min, or until all liquid is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coarsely chop most of the green onion, finely chop a small handful and set aside.  Place coarsely chopped onion in a medium skillet along with the sun-dried tomatoes (the oil from the tomatoes will be enough to saute the onion).  Cook 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir in all the black beans, garlic, herb & spice seasoning, and 3/4 cup of water.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Transfer to food processor and add 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa.  Process until smooth.  Transfer to bowl and mix in the remaining quinoa.  Season with salt & pepper to taste. 

Generously coat loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Press mixture into pan, flattening out the top.  Bake for 30 to 35 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  Garnish with the Spicy Mustard Remoulade and the reserved chopped green onions.

For the remoulade:
4 T spicy brown mustard
2 tsp ketchup
2 tsp vegan or canola mayo
1 tsp parsley flakes
Mix all ingredients together.

Try this recipe with Spiced Glazed Carrots or simple baked sweet potatoes.

Also, I'm co-teaching a workshop with my friend Ajeet.  Get our yogic tips for banishing your black cloud and calming the swirling vortex!  For more info, click here.