The Daily Raw Cafe: National Meatloaf Day

The folks at Serious Eats has declared October 18TH "National Meatloaf Appreciation Day" and to celebrate they have invited all to submit their favorite meatloaf recipe. I love a challenge. So, I created this delicious nut-based meatloaf with spinach and tangy sun-dried tomato ketchup to show, you can have comfort food and still eat raw.

I'm really proud of this dish because it helped me conquer a fear of mine. I can be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to just about everything I do. Often I try to reach for the stars, falling short alot, but I keep reaching. I'm not perfect. I know shocker, huh?

I want my recipes to look good but more importantly, I want them to taste off the hook. I was fearful that this dish would make me fall short and it wouldn't turn out the way I like. Yes, I realize if it turns out wrong, start over and do it again. Which I have, BUT THIS dish is special. :)

Anywho, I snapped out of that perfectionist mind-set real quick when I remembered this recipe isn't any different than my others.

Although it's not listed, but my love of raw food is the first ingredient in every single one of my recipes. My heart has a hand in the preparation of every raw meal I create and so I'm guaranteed a tasty dish.

I was right, this dish taste darn good, if I say so myself. And like the cooked version, it was delish the next morning.

On today's menu:

Spinach-Stuffed Meatloaf

Lemon Green Beans

Honey-Glazed Carrots

SPINACH-STUFFED MEATLOAF

2 cup walnuts, soaked for 4-6 hours
1 cup almonds, soaked for 4-6 hours
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked until soft, reserved 1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one half lemon
2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup SUN-DRIED TOMATO KETCHUP (recipe follows)

1 Place spinach, olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon sea salt Ziploc bag and marinate for 1 hour.
2 In a food processor, combine walnuts, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup reserved tomato water, parsley, onion, garlic and celery. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water one tablespoon at a time to moisten the meat loaf. Be careful not to over moisten.
3 Place meatloaf mixture in a large bowl. Add poultry seasoning, pepper and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Mix well.
4 Spread meatloaf mixture on a Teflex sheet into a shape into a rectangle 3x9-inches . Place spinach mixture on top. Roll up the rectangle carefully, beginning at the short side and using the sheet to lift.

5 Transfer loaf to a second Teflex sheet. You should have enough meat to create three mini loaves.

6 Cover with sun-dried tomato ketchup. Place in dehydrator at 115 degrees for an hour.
7 Make 1 inch slices of meat and arrange on the Teflex.
8 Dehydrate at 115 degrees for an hour. Turn over slices, spread sun-dried tomato ketchup and dehydrate an additional hour.

*Please Note: In the bottom left corner of the ingredient photo is ground brown flax flour. In the preparation of the recipe I found I didn't need it.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO KETCHUP
1 cup sun-dried tomato, soaked, 1/4 c reserved water
1/4 cup raisins, soaked
1 T Italian Seasonings
1/4 tablespoon chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in a blender until mixture is slightly smooth, yet chunky.

HONEY-GLAZED CARROTS
4 cups baby carrots
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of one half lemon
Dash of sea salt

1 In a small bowl, put honey and salt. Squeeze in lime juice. Whisk ingredients together.
2 Slice the carrots very thin, put them in the honey mixture. Let marinate at least an hour.

Servings: 4

LEMON GREEN BEANS
2 cups green beans, cleaned
Juice of one half small lemon
Lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Dash crushed red pepper

1 Cut green beans in bite-size pieces.

2 Place the beans in a plastic container or Ziploc bag. Put lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, zest and red pepper flakes in the bag. Let marinate for at least an hour or longer.

Servings: 4

To take nostalgia to the max, serve the meatloaf with Smashed "Potatoes" and Chives.