Chef Sandi Corder-Clootz, Part Three: Recipe for Spinach Mushroom Loaf and Tomato Basil Marinara

The spinach mushroom loaf is vegan and beautiful.

​Chef Sandi Corder-Clootz first started giving away her secret recipes for vegan and vegetarian cuisine in a series of intimate cooking classes. But while developing the curriculum for the classes, she realized that she had the foundation and recipes for an entire cookbook. In October 2008, Eden Alley released "Stir-Well to Heaven," which to date has sold more than 1,000 copies.

"I'm not a chef that goes around to the tables. But when somebody buys a book, I'll come out and sign it. And when they're excited, that just makes me giddy," Corder-Clootz says. Today, she shares her recipe for spinach mushroom loaf and a tomato basil sauce. In the first two parts of our interview with Corder-Clootz, you can read about her love of Fric & Frac nachos (here) and why she started Eden Alley (here).
 
SPINACH MUSHROOM LOAF (vegan) -- serves 6 to 8 portions.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound fresh, cleaned, de-stemmed spinach
   (set aside in a large mixing bowl)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1-1/2  tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2  tablespoons garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat until onions are translucent. Take off heat and pour mix onto your spinach immediately; the hot onion mix will slightly wilt the spinach.

ADD
2 cups cooked, cold organic brown rice
3 cups bread crumbs
1/2 pound shredded tofu
1/2 pound sautéed mushrooms

Mix very well with hands. Form into a loaf, making sure that it is even in length, height and width, on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool for at least 20 minutes to set. Top with coulee.

COULEE, TOMATO BASIL SAUCE OR MARINARA (vegan/soy-free/gluten-free)
Makes 4 cups.

We use this sauce in sooo many ways, calling it several things ... always calling it delicious. It's great for pasta, topping a spinach and mushroom loaf, or over roasted vegetables.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1-1/2 tablespoons of both olive and sunflower oil
1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
a pinch of chili flakes

FOR LATER
2 14 oz. cans of your favorite diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil

In a large stockpot, begin sautéing the above ingredients, with the exception of your tomatoes and basil, on medium heat. Once onions begin to look translucent, add your two 14-oz. cans of diced tomatoes. Stir well. Let your sauce simmer on low heat for a half-hour. Stir every 10 minutes. Pull your sauce from the heat and add 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil. Stir well. Create an ice bath to cool sauce quicker. Transfer your sauce into desired storage container. Only cover once the sauce is COMPLETELY cool. Label, date and refrigerate.

These recipes and more are in Eden Alley's cookbook, Stir-Well to Heaven, available online and at the restaurant.