Meatless Loaf

It's taken too long to get this wonderful recipe on our site. I think it's at least as good as meatloaf and far more fun to prepare and enjoy. As a leftover, it makes wonderful sandwiches. The end-product is well worth the considerable measuring and general preparation (although once you prepare the ingredients, it's a quick mix). We enjoy meatless loaf as the focal point of a real "comfort meal" with small potatoes baked right along with the loaf, and then perhaps something simple like string beans and carrots, freshly prepared and cooked as separate components. It's a bit of a throwback to the 1950s. Pass the ketchup.

Ingredients

½ cup Brown RiceBrown Basmati rice works well. Try substituting part barley for a slightly different texture.
1 cup Water
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Wheat Germ
1 cup WalnutsChopped
1 cup MushroomsChopped
1 cup Yellow OnionAny kind of cooking onion, chopped. Be generous.
½ cup Green PepperChopped
½ cup CarrotsShredded
6   Egg/s
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Mustard, prepared
½ tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp Thyme
½ tsp Marjoram
½ tsp Sage

Directions

1 Early in the day you can cook the brown rice or rice/barley mixture if you prefer. Just put it in a small saucepan, add the water, cover, bring to a simmer, and let cook for about 45 minutes or until the water is absorbed. I find with brown rice that a proportion of one part rice to two parts water works well. However, consult your instructions for cooking the rice. If you choose to use part barley and part rice, they can cook for the same amount of time together.
2 Lightly grease a 9"x5" loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3 In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice (or rice/barley mixture), cheddar, wheat germ, walnuts, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, and shredded carrot.
4 Next, mix in the lightly beaten eggs. I lightly beat them by making a "well" in the midst of the rice mixture, breaking the eggs in the well, mixing them slightly, and then incorporating them into the mixture. Then add the soy sauce, mustard, pepper, and herbs. (You'll note this recipe does not list salt as an ingredient. Although I am a proponent of using salt moderately, in this recipe the addition of soy sauce and mustard eliminates the need for salt.)
5 Gently mix the ingredients together until you think everything is pretty well distributed.
6 Firmly pat into the loaf pan.
7 Bake for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.