{ WALNUT POLENTA MEATLESS LOAF }

If you like(d) meat loaf, this is a great one to try. I started with this recipe from The Health Seeker's Kitchen, but couldn't find green chili polenta, so I ended up changing quite a few things slightly and adding some other things. I used (and changed) this recipe from Oh She Glows for the sauce. Here's what I did (and I'll do it again):

1/4 c. water to saute
2 c. sweet onion, chopped

1 T. canned green chilies
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. dried cilantro
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 t. sesame seeds
2 T. tomato paste

1/2 c. sun-dried tomato garlic polenta*

1 c. walnuts, coarsely ground
1 1/4 c. cooked brown rice (1/2 c. uncooked)**


{ SAUCE }

3 T. ketchup
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. unsweetened applesauce

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Saute onions in water until translucent.
• Add chilies through tomato paste and mix well.
• Add polenta and mix well. Make sure there aren't any lumps.
• Add walnuts and rice.  Mix well.
• Press into a loaf pan.
• Top with sauce. (I made extra sauce for dipping.)
• Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

*This was my first time using polenta.  I've looked online, and as far as I can tell, it freezes well.  So I plan on just dividing the remaining polenta into 1/2-cup portions and freezing it for next time.

**I knew I would be needing Spanish rice later this week, so that's what I made and used this time.  It was great.