This goodness-packed recipe is good for your health and your wallet. Enjoy as is or head into the wild to forage or extra flavours.
Ingredients
2 tins beans, well drained, or 3 cups beans, cooked until very soft
2 medium-sized onions
1/3 cup of your favourite vegetable oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups well-chopped foraged greens (packed lightly)
100g tofu, chopped into approx 0.5cm cubes
3 tablespoons garlic and herb salt or powdered stock
1 cup flour or breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of your favourite tomatoey sauce
Steps
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Mash the beans in a bowl, but not too thoroughly – you still want some interesting texture and a few bits.
3. Dice 1 onion and half of the other, setting the other half aside. Add the vegetable oil and diced onion to a wide pan over a low heat and fry slowly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, then grate in the other half of the onion. Keeping the heat low, fry for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the chopped foraged greens and tofu, and fry for another 5 minutes, continuing to stir. Add all the fried ingredients to the bowl of bean mix and stir well. Add the salt or stock and stir well. Add the flour or breadcrumbs and stir well.
5. Pack the mixture into a loaf tin lined with baking paper. Spread the sauce over the top as a glaze, cover lightly with another sheet of baking paper and bake for around 45 minutes.
6. After taking it out of the oven, let the loaf sit for at least half an hour to help it set. You can also leave it a lot longer, and it’s great cold and sliced. Serve with salad and veges.
Foraged greens you can use
Chickweed (it’s particularly important to chop this finely – 1cm lengths or smaller work well – or it can be stringy), onion weed, nasturtium leaves (which will add a mustardy kick), herb mallow leaves, pūhā leaves, dandelion leaves and dove’s foot cranesbill.
Foraged greens to use sparingly for a little extra flavour
Wild parsley, kawakawa leaves, wood sorrel and rosemary flowers.
Notes
- Chopping the greens as finely as you can will help the loaf hold together.
- If you eat dairy, substitute the tofu for feta and cook the onion and veges in a 50/50 mix of oil and butter.
- If you have your own favourite vegan or vegetarian loaf recipe, by all means use that and simply add in the 2 cups of fried foraged greens at the appropriate time.
