Superfoods Month: Quinoa Loaf with Walnut Gravy

quinoa loaf with walnut gravy

This recipe is packed with seven superfoods; quinoa, black beans, spinach, olive oil, walnuts, mushrooms, and oats.  I wasn't quite sure how this would turn out, but even after having it for leftovers today it's quite tasty and something I will make again soon.  I've previously bestowed the virtues of quinoa in another post, but it is the perfect protein that contains all nine essential amino acids.  In the same family as quinoa (Chenopodiaceae), spinach is another highly nutritious plant food.  With just 40 calories in a cup of steamed spinach you get lots of vitamin A and K, as well as good portions of managanese, folate, calcium and iron.  Black beans contain enough dietary fiber to help reduce cholesterol levels when eaten regularly and have the highest levels of antioxidants compared to all other types of beans. Walnuts are rich in monosaturated fats and contain an excellent source of the rare and beneficial omega 3 fatty acids that improves heart health.

Serves 4-5
Prep Time: 20-30 min
Cook Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

Quinoa Loaf
2 cups cooked red quinoa
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I saved two sliced mushrooms for the top of the loaf, see picture below)
1/2 vegetable bullion cube
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup oats
10-15 sun-dried tomatoes (save some for top)
1 can black beans
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
~1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika or chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped

Walnut Gravy
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 stick butter or 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 cups water
1/2 veggie bullion cube
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (plus some extra walnuts for garnish)
cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

Quinoa Loaf

• preheat oven 350 degrees F
• grease bread pan
• cook quinoa, set aside
• saute onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil
• add in mushrooms and 1/2 a veggie bullion cube with some water until mushrooms are soft, set aside
• cook spinach, set aside
• blend in a food processor, oats, half the can of black beans, 10 sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp olive oil, mustard, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, until a nice even paste forms.  Add more oil or water to adjust consistency if necessary
• stir together quinoa, mushroom mixture, remaining whole black beans, oat-bean paste, and cilantro (or parsley)
• place 5 or 6 slices of mushroom in the center on the bottom of bread pan with 5-10 sun dried tomatoes on each side of the mushrooms
• add a layer of spinach along the middle of the pan on top of the mushrooms
• place half of the quinoa mixture into the pan
• add layer of spinach
• place remainder of quinoa mixture into pan
• cook at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, cool for 5-10 minutes
• slice and serve with gravy and top with added walnuts

Walnut Gravy

• saute onions and garlic in butter or oil
• add veggie bullion cube, soy sauce, and some pepper
• slowly add water and flour, stirring constantly
• add in honey, nutritional yeast, and walnuts
• cook for 15-20 minutes adding water as needed to maintain gravy like consistency 

Potential Alternatives:

• use white instead of red quinoa 
• add sliced mushrooms and/or rosemary to walnut gravy
• try other nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds) in the gravy
• replace black beans with kidney beans