Vegetarian "Loaf" With Roasted Vegetables - cooking recipe

Ingredients

250 g whole grain rice
5 None onions, finely diced
2 None garlic cloves, finely diced
4 tbsp sunflower oil
6 stems thyme, leaves stripped from stems and chopped
500 g carrots, peeled and grated
100 g sunflower seeds
100 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 medium eggs
150 g creme fraiche
None None paprika
500 g asparagus, with woody ends snapped off
500 g tomatoes, halved
300 ml red wine
1/4 litre vegetable stock
2 tsp cornflour
None None flour and butter for greasing

Preparation

Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 325\u00b0F. Grease and flour a 4 x 12 inch baking pan. To make the \"loaf\", heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan and saute 1/2 the onions and the garlic until slightly browned. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly. Mix with the eggs, rice, cheese, creme fraiche (or sour cream, if using), carrot and sunflower seeds to form a sticky mass. Add the thyme and paprika and season. Put the loaf in the prepared baking pan and bake for around 1 hour.
Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes and asparagus with 2 tbsp oil and season. Spread on a baking sheet and put on the lowest shelf of the oven for the last 20 mins of the loaf's cooking time.
For the sauce, saute the remaining diced onions for about 10 mins in 1 tbsp oil, until browned evenly. Season. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup red wine, bring to a boil and simmer for a 2-3 mins. Repeat the process until all of the red wine is used. After the last addition, pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Mix in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
Remove the \"loaf\" from the oven, let it rest for 3-5 minutes, then remove from the pan and carefully cut into slices. Serve the vegetarian \"loaf\" with the roasted vegetables and sauce.