Soak the dried mushrooms in room temp water for 30mins before you strain, dry & chop it up
Soak the chopped mushrooms in a touch of sherry or red wine vinegar and veggie stock and set aside.
Prep a baking tray with butter and baking/parchment paper or line with foil
Lightly saut your finely minced onion and garlic together and then set it aside for a few minutes to cool a little.
Pop the vegan meat into a large bowl along with salt, pepper, saughted minced onion and garlic, soaked mushrooms and your chopped parsley.
Using your hands (the absolute best kitchen tool you have!), carefully and gently mix the ingredients together just until they are blended and come together. Just remember not to over mix!
Now, skip the loaf pan, it's truly better without it! This way, the meatloaf isn't steamed but rather gets a delicious outer crust.
Turn your mixture out onto your prepared tray and shape, by hand, into a loaf shape.
You can decide how you want to cover the top; brush the outside with some tomato sauce, sprinkle with some additional dried herbs (ie basil, rosemary, oregano) and/or grated vegan cheese. I topped it with vegan bacon strips.
Bake at 160C (320F) for about 55mins - 1 hour.
Allow the meatloaf to rest for about 10-15mins, very loosely tented with foil before slicing and serving.
Serve with a side of any veggies/salads you like. I served mine with lightly fried green beans, chilli jam & butter sauce.
