Total Time: less than 3 hours
Yield: serves up to 4 people
I love a fun challenge so I asked my Instagram friends for some wild ideas of what to make next for my recipe post and the winner was, "retro weird jello salad type 50s recipe (but actually delicious)". I spent a good amount of time trying not to hurl as I researched some ideas and looked at grotesque meal photos from the 1950s. What I finally decided on was a three-part vegan meal: a funky meatloaf, a vegetable jello salad and an ambrosia salad. Here are the recipes and some quick accompanying videos.
Step 1: Make that weird "jello" salad!
Ingredients Needed:
1 carrot (I used about 2/3 of a large carrot)
1 12 oz can of beets (I only used half the can)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 package of vegan friendly "jello" (I got mine at a local healthy store and chose the orange flavor)
Instructions:
Prepare your vegetables: peel the carrot, cut 1/3 of it into medallions and then use a small cookie cutter to make the shapes you want.
Drain the beets and cut into desired shapes.
Grate the other 1/3 of the carrot. Ground up the fennel seeds and add to the grated carrots.
Make the jello using the directions on the box. Set aside in a measuring cup or something similar with a spout.
Slowly start to layer the veggies and jello into your silicon mold until all the ingredients are used.
Place in fridge to set for at least one hour.
Carefully and slowly remove from the silicon mold and place on serving dish. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Watch this video to see how I did this!
Step 2: Start making that meatloaf!
Ingredients Needed:
2 cups mushrooms - sliced
1 can garbanzo beans - skinned
4 cloves garlic - minced
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
1/4 white onion - diced
1/3 of a large carrot - grated
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ketchup
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Drain the garbanzo beans and peel off the skin. (This takes some time so take a seat and watch part of a tv show.)
Prep all the vegetables: slice, mince, grate, dice.
Sauté the onions in the olive oil on med/low heat for about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan with the onions and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and the balsamic vinegar to the pan with the garlic and onions and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the salt and pepper during this time as well.
Put all your ingredients (the beans, the carrots, the breadcrumbs, all the things you've sautéed) into a food processor and mix for less than 30 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, that's okay, just use your hands to mix everything really well and break up some of the bigger chunks with your fingers or a knife.
Prep your desired baking dish with parchment paper and some oil so the meatloaf comes out of the pan easily. I used two round baking dishes (4'' & 3'') for my meatloaf "cake".
Put the meatloaf mix into the baking dishes and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove, let cool for at least 15 minutes, and then carefully remove the meat bakes from the baking rounds.
Cover the meatloaf with the ketchup. Really slather that stuff on.
Place baking in oven on a lined baking sheet and bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and decorate with mashed potatoes. I just used instant potatoes and some frozen peas. What's more groovy than that!?
Watch this video to see how I did this!
Step 3: Make that ambrosia salad!
Ingredients:
1 cup vegan sour cream. I used Forager's but also recommend Tofutti.
1/2 of a lemon - juiced
2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup.
1 tangerine - peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 cup vegan marshmallows. I used Dandies). Cut into smaller pieces if using large marshmallows.
10 oz can of pineapple rounds - chopped.
8 cherries - chopped. I used bing cherries but maraschinos would work well. + some for decor.
1/4 cup shredded coconut - toasted
1/4 cup sliced almonds - toasted
Instructions:
Measure out the coconut and almonds and place in oven to light roast. I put mine in at 350 degrees for less than 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them.
Chop the cherries, pineapple, and tangerine.
Mix the fruit together with the vegan sour cream, agave, and juiced lemon half.
Grab your serving dishes and begin layering in fruit mix and topping with the roasted coconut and almonds. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
Optional - top the dish off with a full pineapple round and full cherry.
Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Watch this video to see how I did this!