Veggie Lentil Loaf

My recipes tend to use several vegetables with grains, beans and tofu.  I like curries, Indian, Chinese and Japanese.  I use tofu mainly for stir fries.   Spices tend to be my go to instead of salt for flavoring.  

For salads Mediterranean is preferable.  Usually use oil and vinegar or a lemon dressing.   Tuna and eggs for busy times and a quick meal.  Sometimes the tuna or hard boiled eggs, lentils or quinoa go into the salad for protein.  

The Veggie Lentil Loaf is very good as a leftover also.

*Green Lentils will work best in this recipe because they hold shape better than red.

This recipe has about 9 g of protein.

Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 tablespoon ground flax seed plus 5 tablespoon water whisked until combined
• ▢ 1 ½ cups of uncooked or 3 cups cooked green lentils 
• ▢ 1 cup rolled oats
• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup carrots finely chopped
• ▢ 1 cup red bell pepper stem, core, and seed removed and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 cup celery finely chopped
• ▢ 1 large red onion finely chopped
• ▢ 6 large Portobello mushroom capsstems and gills removed and finely chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger minced
• ▢ 1 cups bread crumbs use gluten-free if desired

• ▢
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• ▢ 2 cups fire roasted tomatoes divided
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 9x5x3 inch (23x13x8 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoon ground flax seed and the 5 tablespoon water until creamy. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
• In a medium sauce pan cover the 1 ½ cups of lentils with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until soft. Add more water if needed. Drain the lentils in a fine mesh colander, push down on the lentils to get all of the excess water out. Put the lentils and 1 cup oats in a food processor and pulse until they’re mostly creamy, you should see bits of pieces of the lentils. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
• While the lentils are cooking, in a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of celery and the onion and sauté for five minutes, stirring once or twice to avoid scorching. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the garlic and ginger and spices. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  5.  Put the vegetables in the mixing bowl with the lentils. Add the 1 cups of bread crumbs, the flax and egg, 1 tablespoon of  Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of fire roasted tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. 
  6.  Stir until well combined or use your hands to mix it. It should be firm and sticky. IMPORTANT: Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper if needed. 
  Put the lentil loaf mixture in the pan and firmly press it into the pan, make sure it reaches all four corners.Bake for 1 hour, or until the loaf begins to pull away from the sides of the pan
  7. Remove the loaf from the oven and cut three surface slices (approximately ¼ of an inch deep) slices into the loaf and evenly pour the remaining cup of tomatoes on top. Don’t drench it, it should just cover the loaf. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tomato firms up.
  8. Remove from the oven and let it set for ten minutes before removing from the pan. Let sit another 5 minutes before slicing so it doesn’t fall apart.

  Notes

  Feel free to omit Spice if you don’t like or decrease the amounts.

  • You can used cooked packaged lentils
  • Make extra lentils if you cook them, then freeze so you have cooked lentils for soup, salad, or another loaf.