OK, so maybe visiting lentil land isn’t overly exciting but you can learn and hopefully get a good tasting meal out of it….I found the concept for making this recipe over on a long favorite blog of mine, Vegan Lunch Box, and came away with a solid idea of a veg friendly loaf that I can continue to customize from now on.
Red Lentil Loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup pecans
1 Tbsp flax-seed meal
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp diced dried garlic
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use a vegan version here if you want 100% veg friendly)
1/4 to 1/2 cup lower sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup ketchup
Directions:
Spread the lentils on white paper and pick over them, looking for any debris or shriveled lentils. Rinse well and shake off.
In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil, add in the lentils, lower the heat and cook mostly covered for 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a non-stick skillet heat the oil over medium, cook the onion till golden.
In a mini food chopper whirl the oats to about half their size, put in a large mixing bowl. Add the pecans to the chopper and process till meal grind, add it to the oats. Stir in the flax-seed meal and the seasonings. Add in the lentils, onion and Worcestershire sauce, using your hands to mix it well. Mix in the broth till it is a moist mix.
Spray a 8×8″ glass baking pan with cooking spray, spread the mix into it with a spatula. Spread the ketchup over it evenly. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.
Serves 4.
Nutritional stats per serving:
421 calories
17 grams fat
329 mg sodium
11 grams fiber
18 grams protein
~Sarah