The meat-less loaf experiment.

Muffin tin Meat-less loaf with BBQ sauce

Iv been testing more savoury recipes lately.  There are only so many way's that you can eat veg, grains and pulses after all !!!  Iv seen a lot of meat less loaf recipes, but the list of ingredients required always put me off.  For me the simplest recipes are often the best.

 While reading one of them I realised that the majority of grains and pulses needed could all be found in good old Scot's Broth Mix.  Why buy 5 products, when you can buy 1.....

I adapted a recipe I found and made some mini muffin tin meat less loafs, then covered them in homemade BBQ sauce before baking in the oven.  To be honest Iv only ever eaten meat loaf once, while on holiday in New York.  It was probably not my best idea to made a veggie version of a meat recipe, especially when I couldn't remember what the original version was supposed to taste like.   Because my meat less loaf sure tasted a lot like haggis. 

Not to big a problem I love haggis, you don't really see if served traditionally any more. Your more likely to find it covered in batter, deep fried and served with chips.  Or served in a buttered roll topped with tomato ketchup. Though one Take away shop has created it's own fusion cuisine, by selling haggis wraps and haggis pakora......Enough said really

My veggie haggis tastes great, it has the same texture and bite from the spices that I love about the original.  So here's my recipe for anyone that wants to give this a try for St Andrews day 30th November or have a few practise runs before the next Burns Supper night. 

Veggie Haggis

1 cup Dry Mixed Beans or 2 tins of pre-cooked mixed beans

1/2 Cup Broth Mix

1 Cup hazelnuts Nuts

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Chili powder

1 tsp both Salt and Pepper

Soak your dry beans over night, drain and wash before placing in a cooking pot.

Add Broth Mix into same pot and cover in water.

If using Dry beans follow packet instructions for cooking times.  (Usually boiled 10 Min's, then Simmer for 75 Min's.) If using canned Beans, drain and wash before placing in the cooking pot and follow broth mix packet cooking times.

Chop the nuts with a knife or use your blender. 

Once beans and broth mix are cooked, drain and wash.  Use blender to puree them down to a hummus consistency. 

Stir in the nuts and spices, then mix together well. 

Grease a muffin or loaf tin and pour haggis mix in.  Pat down firmly,  bake in your oven at 180 Celsius.

Mini haggis takes about 40 mins, if using a loaf tin bake for an 1hr. 

The ingredients listed above were what I had in my store cupboard at the time.  One of my pet hates is when Chef's tell you not to bother making a recipe if you can't get such and such an ingredient.  So just use what beans or nuts that you like or are already in your store cupboard. 

TIP: If you don't have a blender, use a potato masher to mash down your cooked beans. 

Serve traditionally with Neeps and tatties.  (Translation: Mashed Turnip and potato's)

Or in a buttered bread roll topped off with tomato ketchup, lol.  My own guilty food pleasure xxxx