When I first became vegetarian at the age of 10, this is one of my first 'go to' recipes when everyone else was having roast joint or chicken on a Sunday. It freezes really well, so you can make it ahead, or you can make two and freeze one, or you can freeze individual portions. I often serve it with some home made tomato sauce.
To make it a vegan recipe, substitute the 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of mashed sweet potato to bind the ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper, garlic
120g (4 oz) ground nuts (one packet)
120g (4 oz) brown bread crumbs
1 x 400g tin whole tomatoes, without the juice
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped (alternatively use half a teaspoon of dried basil)
2 eggs (or 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato - cooled)
1 teaspoon sugar (ensure it's vegan friendly sugar - see Tips and note below)
If you are cooking vegan, ensure your sugar does is not refined using bone char (see Tips). Choose an organic or beet sugar that is vegan friendly, or substitute the sugar with a vegan friendly syrup like Sweet Freedom Fruit Syrup or Lyle's Dessert Syrup. 1 tablespoon of syrup should be sweet enough to equate to 2 tablespoons of sugar, but adjust to your taste.
Makes 8 portions
Instructions:
Saute the onion with salt and cayenne pepper and garlic.
In a bowl, mix the ground nuts, the two beaten eggs (or sweet potato), the tomatoes, sugar and basil.
Add the breadcrumbs to the onion and mix well.
Then mix everything together.
Grease a loaf tin - or use a loaf tin greaseproof liner.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, and bake in the oven at 350F, Gas Mark 4, 180C for 30 minutes until browned.