Vegetarian Meatloaf

This recipe is a great vegetarian alternative to meatloaf.   If you have leftovers, use them for a sandwich the next day or eat it in a whole wheat pita.

2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked beans)
¾ cup rolled oats
½ cup water, plus 3 Tbs
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup green peas, frozen
½ medium red onion, chopped
10 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water for 1 hour, drained and chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced
salt and ground pepper to taste

First you will need to coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. It can also be coated in olive oil. The loaf pan needs to be 8 inches long.   Turn your oven to 350 degrees F in order to preheat it.   Now add mushrooms and one tablespoon of water in a skillet and cook thoroughly. Consistent stirring is required and heat needs to be on medium-high. Cook the mushrooms for approximately 7 minutes. After that you will need to add 2 more tablespoons of water slowly as each tablespoon evaporates. Once the mushrooms are cooked put them in a bowl and set them aside for now.
Mix the following ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they are smooth; onion, tomatoes, peas, salt, pepper, bean mixture, parsley, and quinoa. Now add in the smooth mixture to the mushrooms in the large bowl and stir well. Now salt and pepper to taste the mixture.   Now that the mixture is complete you can add it to the large loaf pan and press it down into the pan firmly. Place the loaf pan with mixture and place in the preheated oven. Bake the mixture for sixty to seventy five minutes or until the loaf is firm. The loaf should be a golden brown color. Once done, remove the loaf from the oven and let cool for ten minutes.   You can now slice and serve the loaf.