Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Magic Loaf Sandwich

A year or so ago I took a vegetarian cooking class put on by members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. One thing the SDA has opened my eyes to is the wonder of the Dinner Loaf. Loaves seem to me to be especially emblematic of vegetarian Adventist cuisine (that and Loma Linda and Worthington brand canned "meats").

The teacher gave us all a nifty handout showing how we could create our own "Entree Loaf" by choosing one item from each category. Because I apparently have nothing better to do today (and it's 100 degrees outside and I don't want to move), I have recreated this handy form online.

That's right, my friends! Visit The Magical Loaf Studio and you, too, can custom-design your very own Adventist-style Dinner Loaf!

To make my Magic Loaf I chose cooked crimson lentils, oat bran, almonds, veggie broth, nutritional yeast, and sage. I also had some leftover extra firm tofu in my fridge, so I crumbled it and threw it in as well.

Of course, one of the best things about loaves is how yummy they are on bread with ketchup the next day, like a cold meatloaf sandwich. Alongside the sandwich are a pear, some peas, carrots & corn, and two little Aplets & Cotlets (from my Mother's Day stash).

Verdict: It's all over but the crusts. 4 stars.

If you find any especially good loaf combinations, post about them here. Some combinations they recommended in the class were garbanzos, oats, cashews, and bean liquid; split peas with cashews and soymilk; and mixed beans, walnuts, and vegetable juice. I'd like to try millet, red lentils, and sesame seeds...or black beans, rice, and pine nuts with spicy vegetable juice and cumin...or kasha, butter beans, and walnuts...

77 comments:

Jenny said...

What is in the green container?


ahhh I wish you were my mother!!! You should open a restaurant! Or a catering service!!!

Taylor said...

Wow! Bordom beget the Magic Loaf Studio. Awesome.

I've been making a vegetarian "meat loaf" for years. I use TVP as the main ingredient for mine.

You're right, it's always better the next day.

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Can these loaves be turned into burgers?

Yes! You might need to add extra bread crumbs or binder and less liquid, so you can shape it into patties with your hands.

satsumabug said...

So exciting! I can't wait to try it. :) Thank you for sharing!

(I've been reading your blog for a few months now but haven't commented until now.)

trinjoy said...

That site rocks! THANKS, Jennifer! I can hardly wait to try our family creation. We huddled 'round the computer and all contributed.

Shmoo's lunch looks awesome as usual.

Trin

t. said...

brilliant!

veganmum said...

I am downright excited about that recipe generator. Very cool! Thanks for taking the guesswork out of loaf making. Now I need to get on it before the weather gets too warm. :)

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Are crimson lentils the same a red lentils?

No, they aren't husked like red lentils are. They're smaller than regular green lentils and are darkish red. I like black lentils, too, and the pretty blue-green French lentils. Lentils are so fun!

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Would you start out with an equal ratio of the protein to carbohydrate?

Hi, Beth! No, it's a two-to-one ratio (2 cups protein, 1 cup carb).

TW said...

Loaf generator looks great but nuts are a no no in this house so is it possible to skip the nuts?

Bethany said...

Maybe a dumb question - but do you have to cook the loaf or does it "set up" on its own?

Anonymous said...

The Magical Loaf Studio is so cool! I can't wait to try it!

Kristina said...

I have grown up Seventh-day Adventist, and the most common loaf I've come across is Special K. It's amazing. I highly recommend it straight out of the oven, but it's even better the next day, cold with ketchup. :0)

Maegen said...

wow what a wonderful, thing that loaf studio you made is thank you so very much for sharing!!!

harlemgrrl said...

jennifer you have officially outdone yourself with the loaf generator! i'm going to make one this weekend and post the results. btw, your ny area fans lurve you :)

Milinda said...

Your skill and cunning are amazing. Love the loaf generator.

Jennifershmoo said...

>>but do you have to cook the loaf or does it "set up" on its own?

Yes, the loaf is baked for 45 min. to an hour to "set" and cook through.

>>Now I need to get on it before the weather gets too warm. :)

Exactly! This would have been a lot more fun two weeks ago, before it turned 100 degrees outside...

LadyRachelLynn said...

As a Seventh-day Adventist myself (yes I'm that too) I second the loaf as a SDA thing! We have WAY to many of those, IMHO. However, I will ask DH if he would like an old fashioned loaf and if so, use your generator to make one.

BTW, I've never seen that pick one from each catagory sheet. Interesting....

Julie said...

Wow! That's all I can say! oh, and thanks!

Display Name said...

Oh man,
the loaf generator is out of this world!! How freaking fun! I sense that my poor, unsuspecting boyfriend is headed for a loaf season!
Thanks jennifershmoo!

yours, Amey
(hiding as matt... the aforementioned unsuspecting boyfriend!)

Dobsonites said...

>> This would have been a lot more fun two weeks ago, before it turned 100 degrees outside...

But it's just in time for us in the southern hemisphere, freezing our butts off and needing good comfort food! Thanks!

Liz Woodbury said...

i am in love with the magical loaf studio! i can't wait to try it. i have been missing the various veggie loaves the chicago diner makes (i used to visit my parents in chicago, but they moved). yummmm.

Addy N. said...

Jennifer:
Thanks so much for the loaf generator! I can't wait to try it. I've been vegetarian for over 14 years, but have NEVER made a loaf!

Thanks again for all your inspiration. My daughter's lunches are so much healthier and exciting since I started reading your blog. Keep up the great work!

Neurotic Illini Fan said...

Yum! Can't wait to try some of the myriad combinations.

NIF

Dreena said...

You're too incredible, creating that magical loaf studio! Applause!

Amy K. said...

The Loaf Generator is great. I think I'm having cold sammiches for lunch next week, with ketchup!

Thank you.

Crystal said...

Thanks so much for making the studio! I've never made a loaf, I've always been a bit scared of them, but I love that you've given me so many options to try!

Adv. Blogger said...

Super idea!
I definitly like it!

Greek Salad

Adv. Blogger said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
steve said...

Been checking your site for a while now and love it. Keep up the excellent work!

Anonymous said...

Love the Loaf Studio!

L said...

First time commenter here :)

1) This blog is absolutely awesome, thanks for doing it and sharing your cooking! It's so inspiring and motivates me to try to cook at least 1/3 or half as well to my boys (although we're not fully vegan yet).

2) Your Loaf Studio is AMAZING!!

3) Loaves are a distinct feature of North-American SDAs, I'm an SDA but I'd never heard of them until I came to this country (I'm from Brazil). I have yet to acquire a taste for loaves - maybe your studio will help!

mira said...

What a great concept! I am always at a loss to know how to make a decent vegloaf and now I have this. I have shared the link with all my friends, have generated my own first loaf and copied down the others I see here. Thanks so much for doing this.

On a side note, we (my daughter's other Girl Scout leader and I) loved the lunchbox idea so much that we turned it into an eco-awareness project for the girls to earn a badge and sent it out to everyone in the school (small town), we're hoping to seriously reduce the trash in school plus promote more healthy eating.

Thanks for all you do and all your ideas.

Jennifershmoo said...

>>i can't seem to get the nutritional yeast to show up

Oops, you're right! It should be fixed now if you hit refresh and reload the page.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

brilliant! i love the menu concept. i printed it out, & can't wait to try. thanks so much for sharing your creative ideas here.

Mama Fabun said...

Completely addicted to your blog, Jennifershmoo!

I'm wondering whether you've tried freezing these loaves. We're expecting our second little boy in a few months and it'd be nice to have some ready in the freezer.

Sidenote> My first loaf from The Magical Loaf Studio (red lentils, carrots, garlic, extra ketchup, wheat germ, etc.) is in the oven now, and it smells wonderful! I'll have to ask my baker hubby to bring home some rolls for sandwiches!

Simone said...

When I visit your blog I feel like I could be veg also. I knew your blog through friends' links. kisses

Robbie said...

As TW asked, do the nuts serve an essential purpose in these recipes?

High Power Rocketry said...

Mmmm

Mia said...

Oh, I'm ridiculously excited for the magical load studio! I recently made a lovely lentil loaf. My Sprout(4) dubbed it "SpaceCat" and they gobbled it up. While it's lovely that naming it after he and his sister's favorite things, it makes it sound a bit less veggie... Thank you for this blog!

Kimberly said...

We are remodeling our kitchen and have to start using up all the food before the June 26 tear-out date. These loaves are REALLY going to help me clean out the pantry! Brilliant! Thanks a bunch, JSchmoo. :-)

My first magical loaf!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews
2 TB olive oil
One onion, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
Two celery ribs, diced
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup uncooked quick oatmeal or oat bran
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable juice, as needed
2 TB soy flour
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Several dashes vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 TB soy sauce


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the cashews into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of My first magical loaf! make a great sandwich filling.

Jennifershmoo said...

>>and it ROCKED.

WOO! I'm so glad, and I love the name! :-)

Wow, as of this morning 2,800 magical loaf recipes have been generated!

Jennifershmoo said...

Hi, Beth,

I'm not sure what the rest of your ingredients were, but it sounds like you need more "binder", something that will help it hold together. And yes, it helps if the lentils/beans are very soft so you can mash everything up together.

Like I mentioned, I can't vouch for every loaf combination, so sometimes you might have to make adjustments as you go, throwing in more liquid or binder or carb (some of the carbs act as binders, too, especially breadcrumbs and oats). Lentils and kasha sound great, though!

Liz Woodbury said...

just to briefly sum up my foray into loaf baking tonight, i tried chick pea, rice, veggie (including mushrooms), flax meal, olive oil, walnut, nutritional yeast, veggie worcestershire sauce, veggie broth...i think that's it -- anyway, it was a HUGE HIT. yum yum yum yum, is all i can say. the only downside was no leftovers for sammiches.

La Tea Dah said...

I love this recipe and have used it frequently over the years. It originated at Weimar Institute (an SDA health and wellness center in California) and is published in their vegan cookbook. It's one of our favorites on a Yahoo group I moderate - http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/Christian-Vegan-Cooking

Believe it or not, years ago I this recipe with my home ec students at KHS. Thanks for sharing! I love the form you created (and I believe the Cream of Wheat would be uncooked and a dry addition to the recipe). :)

Jennifershmoo said...

>>I believe the Cream of Wheat would be uncooked and a dry addition to the recipe

Thanks! That's two votes for uncooked Cream of Wheat. I'll update the form.

Jennifershmoo said...

Ooh, that loaf sounds fabulous with the curry and cilantro! Yum!

Danielle D. said...

I made my first loaf last night and it was really yummy:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnuts
2 TB vegetable oil
One onion, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
One large carrot, peeled and grated
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, partly mashed
1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable juice, as needed
3 TB tapioca flour
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the walnuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the vegetable oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of make a great sandwich filling.

Sara said...

I just discovered your site recently, and even though I dont' have any kids (yet, perhaps) it's a topic that fascinates me. I'm working on a documentary about school lunches and decided reading this is great research. Also, the loaf generator is BRILLIANT and I'm dying to try the recipe :)

Tere said...

I tried my Terrific Tere Loaf (or Terrific Loaf a-La Tere, I can't decide) and it was *fantastic*.
I've tried veggie loaves in the past and they were all a little dry--this one had the perfect consistency, flavour, and was so moist!! I was SO impressed, and will definitely be making more of these and experimenting.
Here is what I used:

Terrific Tere Loaf

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds
2 TB olive oil
One onion, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
One large carrot, peeled and grated
Two celery ribs, diced
One cup mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup cooked kasha (buckwheat)
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, as needed
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
2 TB nutritional yeast flakes
2 TB soy sauce

I served it with boiled potatoes, broccoli and vegetarian gravy (I used the Mushroom Miso recipe from May All Be Fed by John Robbins).
I cooked the kasha and oatmeal, and chopped all my vegetables in the morning, so preparation was pretty quick, although there are probably combinations that would be a lot quicker to make.
Thanks Jennifer!

hyphen_helena said...

I just made my first Magic Loaf tonight and it's absolutely delicious! Thanks so much, Jennifer!

Piegirl said...

hi Jennifer, i came across your blog through slashfood's article at http://www.slashfood.com/2006/07/30/the-vegan-loaf-generator-redux/

i used to be a vegan for 12 years, and so i appreciate the resources you have on your blog, which remind me of my previous healthier lifestyle. incidentally, i am an Adventist, so you can understand the influences of my past vegan practice. i've linked your blog to my piegirl.blogspot.com and you might be interested to see a link there to www.cookingcute.com which features a collection of bento meals.

i will be sharing your blog with my sister, who has two school-going children. thanks for sharing!

AnnBoBluberry said...
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JOY said...
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Salette said...

Your Web site almost saved Christmas!

This year it was just me and my daughter for Christmas, so I was free to make anything without comments from my husband.

I had tried various loaf recipies with varying degrees of success. Then, yesterday morning, I found your amazing Web site!

So I just checked off ingredients that I had on hand, and it generated a recipe for me! I had some burger crumbles, but only 1 cup, and I needed two, so I used one cup of burger crumbles and one cup of firm tofu, cashews, oatmeal, flax meal, onions, carrots, garlic...mmmmmmm! It was yummy!

I served it with vegan "turkey" gravy, cranberry sauce, veggies, and potatoes.

I also made a sweet potato pie. I couldn't find a recipe, so I adapted a vegan pumpkin pie recipe. It smelled and looked fabulous. It had a nice "skin" on top and even browned nicely. Unfortunately, my daugher and I had to step out unexpectedly, and we neglected to secure the pie. When we returned, there was no longer even a crumb left of the pie, so I'm sure that it was delicious, at least to the two dogs who had access to the kitchen. :-(

Thank you for your wonderful recipe generator!

Salette in AZ

Justbecauseitmakesmesmile said...

OK, I'll be honest. I'm not a vegetarian and even less of a vegan but I'm SO EXCITED about this website!
I'm off to make a loaf now!

Shandra said...

I'm a SDA too and I LOVE loaf! What a wonderful Sabbath lunch, praise the LORD! I'm a little new to the kitchen and I'm just wondering how much dry beans equals two cups cooked beans. May the Lord continue to bless you through your ministry.

Jennifershmoo said...

Shandra -- 1 cup of dry beans usually equals around 3 cups cooked. Here is a great page with bean basics:

http://www.centralbean.com/storeandsoak.html#Arithmetic

Krissy said...

Ha! this is great and making me hungry. As a kid growing up in the SDA church and school, I ate a lot of these - usually at my grandparents! Now that I am a vegetarian, why do I never make them?? It is time!

Jean said...

I couldn't find an email or contact form link so must post here.
I used your magic loaf idea to create my own with a less vegan influence. I also included a fill in blank for each ingredient category so folks can fill in their own. I acknowledged you and posted a link back to your magic meat loaf page.
My website is not high traffic - I just did this for myself and friends mostly.
You can find it at
http://www.jeankorte.ca/jk-loafRecipeMaker.php

Thanks so much for the idea and the recipes!

Brittany said...

I named my loaf swamp fire...lol

Unknown said...

i tried to read all the comments but i may have missed this. any directions for the best way to freeze loafs or if they freeze well? i love love love this loaf generator and have been making super yummy loafs with it. i am finding when i use quinoa i need extra binder and so far i always use flax meal for my binder.

Heather said...

the loaf studio is the most popular clickout on this page: lens photothanks for sharing!!

maudlin~*~maudlin said...

I love your blog and the Magical Loaf Studio is ingenious! We've made several delicious loaves with it--thank-you!!

Here's my blog post about it:

http://maudlinmaudlin.blogspot.com/2009/06/magical-loaf-studio.html

Thanks again!

Unknown said...

I was going to send your website for the Magical Loaf Studio to a friend, who loves nut loaf and it's not there anymore! What happened?

Becky M.
Columbia, Missouri

JadeDragon said...

Hey this Magic loaf generators is a great idea. Was doing research for an article and found it. Liked it so much I've linked it (and therefore your blog) plus your book off this article: http://www.ehow.com/how_5671610_make-vegetarian-dinner-loaf.html Happy Loafing :)

jenny. said...

I love your loaf builder! ....simply amazing!

Julie Feinstein said...

I love love love your magic loaf site. I tried my first recipe tonight, with slight variations, and I think it's ridiculously delicious. Looking forward to packing my son's lunch with it for preschool (where they gave me my first bento box; they like to encourage parents to use re-useables and they like the laptop lunches brand b/c the teacher only has to open one lid).

Here's how my recipe ended up, based on what I had in the cupboard, and my tendency to increase herbs/spices:

Black-Eyed Peas and Brown Rice Loaf
Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnuts
2 TB canola oil
One leek, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
One large carrot, peeled and grated
Two celery ribs, diced
One cup mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth, as needed
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
2 TB soy sauce

The leek is super delicious. Also, I sauteed the mushrooms separately so they wouldn't steam (a la Julia Child).

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Unknown said...

Oh ! this is a GREAT web-site ! Thank you. I am an SDA but it hard to find a vegen loaf that I can tolerate. Your site has come to my rescue. Boy, putting uncooked cream of wheat (I used malt o'Meal) it makes the texture real nice. Neat new combinations. thank You.

Emily said...

So when the recipe calls for 1 cup cooked grain, does that mean I measure 1 cup dry grain and cook it? Or cook about 1/2 cup dry grain to make 1 cup prepared grain? And approximately how much does this recipe make? I want to make it in mini loaf pans and freeze them for individual meals. Thanks!

Jennifershmoo said...

It means 1 cup of grain that has already been cooked. So cook some grain and measure out 1 cup and you've got it. It makes one loaf pan, probably 4 or 5 mini loaves. And the loaves usually freeze well, too.

That Family Services Friendly Blog said...

Hi.
I absolutely love your Magic Box Loaf!
I am wondering why whole wheat flor is not given as as option for the flours. I have used it several times as that is what I have had on hand.
Thank you Michelle


http://thatfamilyservicesfriendlyblog.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

After searching the web for almost two hours to find a veggie burger/loaf recipe with ingredients that I had on hand... I came across your loaf generator! Thank you so much for taking the time to program that! I am presently eating my lentil loaf with salad. SOOOOO good!! I have bookmarked your page and will return.

Unknown said...

Nancy -Brilliant! ...create your own loaf. We are vegan and we have so many people who have difficulty creating their own loaf to cook for dinner. What a marvelous way to show how to create a dinner loaf that has all your protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals, amino acids all included. Thank You so much for this information.

oh-yes-i-will said...

Hey, I want to make a loaf for christmas.
How many people feeds one recipe? Is the recipe for one big loaf? Or should I double(or quadruple) it to feed 4 people?
Thanks alot for this!!
Greeting from germany

Natasha said...

I love this. It's so much fun to choose different combinations. Here's my first one:

http://www.bambooblossom.co.za/2013/01/vegetarian-magic-loaf.html#