CHEESE & NUT LOAF

CHEESE & NUT LOAF image

Categories Nut

Number Of Ingredients 17

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1-1/2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup cashews
1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped fine
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained and chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 Tablespoon fresh marjoram, or 1 teaspoon dried (I was out of this and it tasted great without it)
1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage, or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 large cloves of garlic, minced very fine
4 large eggs, beaten
9-12 ounces of grated cheese -- Use odds and ends of different cheese that go together. I used cheddar and jack cheese, but swiss or fontina are good too
1 cup (8 oz) cottage cheese
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Toast walnuts and cashews on a baking sheet (or you could use a hot, dry skillet set on medium and stir constantly) until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Chop fine with knife, (I used the food processor). Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they're browned and any liquid from the mushrooms has reduced by half. Stir in the cooked rice, the nuts, chopped herbs, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth it down until it's level. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. It should be firm when you shake the pan. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert onto a serving plate. Serve with Herb Bechamel sauce or a mushroom sauce.