· gluten-free · soy-free ·

When it comes to vegan entrées for holiday meals, it can be tricky to know what to make.

A lot of people go for fake meats because of the nostalgia attached to something that looks and tastes like meat at a holiday meal. But oftentimes these fake meats are filled with thickeners, gums, and other questionable ingredients that you may not want to be eating.

So if you’re looking for something that’s filling and satisfying, but made out of whole foods, this loaf is the perfect thing.

It’s made with brown rice, millet, and oats, and flavored with garlic, onions, almonds, and raisins. This makes it completely gluten-free (a win-win for everyone!) The best part is, it’s a simple 4-step process and you can make it the day before! The next day, just sear in the pan and you’re good to go. You can either serve it seared whole or cut it into medallions and individually sear those.

Pair it with our No-Oven Vegan Gravy and you’ve got yourself one hell of a vegan entrée!

Scroll down for the recipe and video ↓

 

TEXTURE

This loaf is delicious and satisfying, with a hearty taste and good seasoning. The key to the best texture is to pulse the mix in the food processor only until just combined into a dough. If you over-mix it, the rice and millet will blend too much and become gummy. You want it to hold together, but not stick together.

You can also make this loaf any size you want. What we’ve done in this recipe is make one long loaf that we then cut in 2 to be able to sear in the pan, but if you want a thicker, shorter loaf, then just shape it like that when you roll out the dough “sausage”.

Scroll down for the recipe ↓

 

How to serve

We like to serve this loaf with roasted potatoes, but you can serve it with just about any roasted vegetable. Try Brussel sprouts, beets, pumpkin, or

The great thing about this load is that its flavor profile is pretty neutral, so it pairs well with so many things. It’ll complement all your side dishes and go great with greens, beans, or casseroles.

Serve this festive whole grain loaf with the No-Oven Vegan Gravy for the perfect sauce compliment. You’ll have your guests asking for the recipe by the end of the meal!

 

Watch the recipe video here:

 

Whole Grain Christmas Loaf (GF)

Serves 6

1 cup | 190g brown rice, soaked in 3 cups | 660ml overnight, drained and rinsed

1 cup | 180g millet, soaked in 4 cups | 880ml water overnight, drained and rinsed

7 cups water | 1540ml, divided

2 2X2” pieces of kombu seaweed

3 tsp | 15g dijon mustard

1 cup | 84g toasted rolled oats

1 cup | 160g raisins or sour cherries

2 cloves | 10g garlic, crushed

1/2 cup | 70g white or yellow onion, diced small

1 cup | 88g toasted sliced almonds

2 tsp | 10g sea salt

3 tbsp | 33ml olive oil

SEARING

4-6 tbsp | 44-66ml grapeseed or avocado oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cloves | 10g garlic, peeled and slightly crushed

2 tbsp vegan butter (optional)

1. Add drained brown rice, 3 cups of water, and one of the pieces of kombu to a medium pot. Cook on medium flame for 25 minutes, or until soft.

2. At the same time, place millet, remaining 4 cups of water, and other piece of kombu in another medium pot. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 30 minutes or until soft.

3. Remove both pots from heat and drain and rinse rice and millet separately, making sure to squeeze all the water that you can out of the grains using a spoon or rubber spatula. Set aside.

4. Add half of the cooked grains to a food processor (if your food processor is small, you might need to do 3 batches instead of 2) along with the mustard, oats, raisins or sour cherries, garlic, onion, almonds, salt, and olive oil. Pulse until the mixture just begins to come together. Be careful not to over mix, or it’ll come out chewy.

5. Transfer mixture into a large bowl and add the rest of the rice and millet to the food processor. Pulse again until just combined and add to the large bowl with the rest. Use a rubber spatula or a large spoon to mix both batches together and distribute the mix evenly.

6. Lay out 2 25”-long pieces of plastic wrap horizontally on a clean flat surface, one slightly overlapping the other. Place the dough mixture in the center of it and use your spatula to shape it into a log shape so that the length of it is horizontal on your surface. Bring the plastic wrap that’s underneath it over the top of it to meet the top part and then use your hands over the plastic wrap to squeeze the loaf tight. Peel that bottom section of plastic off the dough and bring it down again. Use the top plastic now to lift the loaf and roll it on to the other side. Repeat this process one more time and gently press to form the shape. It should be more or less pressed into a nice log shape.

7. Make sure the loaf is centered at the bottom of the plastic wrap. Lift the bottom piece of plastic wrap over it and start to roll the log upwards in the plastic. Every time you roll the log, use your hands to smooth out any air bubbles in the log by running them along the shape from the center outwards. Continue doing this until rolled all the way up. Take any remaining air bubbles out by gently shaping the log from the center out to one side then gather the excess plastic and twist it. Do the same on the other side (make sure you twist both sides in the same direction). Now while holding each twisted end, roll the log in the direction opposite to the twists so that it tightens the shape. Do this a few times until it’s as tight as you think it’s going to get. Take one end of plastic and tuck it under the log for security while you tie the other. Tie the opposite end by making a knit as close to the loaf as possible. Repeat with the other side. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight before searing.

8. Take the log out of the fridge and remove plastic by cutting the knots using a pair of scissors. Cut the loaf in half if necessary (this will depend if your loaf is big enough to sear whole in your pan).

9. Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Add the whole loaf or half the loaf into the pan and cook for 1bout 2 minutes, or until 1 side is nicely seared. Gently roll the loaf 90º and sear on the next side. Repeat this process until all sides are evenly seared. Make sure to stir the rosemary and garlic around every now and then to keep them from burning—you can even use the rosemary to brush some of the oil onto the top of the loaf. If desired, you can add vegan butter and tilt the pan to baste the loaf in the flavored butter.

10. Serve warm with vegan gravy. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

 

Did you make this recipe? tag us on Instagram @eatogether.co so that we can see it!

 

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