Recipe: Wholesome Lentil Loaf
In my last post I talked about how you can eat organic and healthy on the cheap. If you missed that post, please check it out for some tips and links to some great recipes – that do not take a lot of effort in the kitchen, but will be much more nutritious, and less expensive for you than fast food or freezer meals!
Here is an awesome recipe for a lentil loaf – made with leftovers and pantry staples. This was a truly great meal, especially for this time of year, when we are yearning for comfort food, that “sticks to your ribs”. The flavors were really good in the loaf – bringing lentils to life with the addition of zing from sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Adding a delicious and savory sauce for on top, takes this meal from humble to fantastic! I served it w/ sautéed dinosaur kale with onions, garlic and a sprinkle of fresh meyer lemon juice.
This is a great vegetarian meal for those who don’t normally eat vegetarian – or for your veggie friends! It is also gluten-free. So I hope you enjoy it! Here’s to great health and great food!
For the next few weeks I am going to be focusing on some other real life things and projects. I am still around, and plan to keep posting, but maybe not as regularly as usual.
Lentil Loaf with Sweet Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups red lentils, sprouted and cooked until tender
(why do I soak/sprout? )
½ small yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBS olive oil
salt & pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme
½ cup, shredded cheddar and parmesan, tightly packed
1 egg, scrambled
¼ cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
2 TBS sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1 TBS dijon or spicy mustard
For sauce:
½ can tomato paste
splash of red wine
1 TBS maple syrup or sugar
pinch of dried thyme
salt & pepper
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a skillet sauté onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil until tender. In a large bowl mix veggies with lentils and all the other loaf ingredients. Place in a lightly oiled (or buttered) loaf pan. Cook loaf for about 30-40 minutes, until heated through.
While the loaf is cooking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, stir all ingredients together, and cook over medium heat until cooked through. Serve spooned over top of sliced pieces of the loaf. Serves 4 (large potions).
sugar plum - February 8, 2010 at 8:45 am
This is not only a beautiful recipe but a beautiful picture too!!!!
Natashya - February 8, 2010 at 8:51 am
Yum – you make healthy delicious!
Peter G @ Souvlaki For The Soul - February 8, 2010 at 10:03 am
These are my type of veg winter dishes! So nourishing and delicious…thanks for sharing Jenn!
ValleyWriter - February 8, 2010 at 10:09 am
Looks great! Good luck with your other projects (I bet I know what 1 of them is!!!)
dawn - February 8, 2010 at 11:17 am
now this is hearty! I would love the leftovers in a sammie smothered with onions and mayo-ketchup.
Happy Cook - February 8, 2010 at 11:59 am
I have enver mad eanything like this with lentils. Love the idea and it looks so so yumm.
cookeaze - February 8, 2010 at 12:58 pm
I would LOVE to make this dish. Thanks for sharing it, It looks absolutely delicious.
kat - February 8, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Sounds like a really hearty vegetarian meal
Rosa - February 8, 2010 at 4:09 pm
That looks fabulous! A terrific idea!
Cheers,
Rosa
Bob - February 8, 2010 at 5:28 pm
That sounds really good. You know, I can’t remember the last time I had lentils…
Alison @ Hospitality Haven - February 8, 2010 at 6:21 pm
I’m glad you posted this! I was just thinking of a recipe like this the other day. Glad I found your blog!
nina - February 9, 2010 at 12:10 am
I often have to cook for hubby’s boss and he is a vegetarian. Thanks for saving my life with this recipe!!!!
Alta - February 9, 2010 at 9:21 am
You know, if my husband came in asking what we were having for dinner and I replied “lentil loaf,” I’d surely get the wrinkled nose “gross” face from him. However, he doesn’t like any lentils. On the other hand, while I’ve never had lentil loaf, it sounds really tasty. I might have to make it just for me!
Erica - February 9, 2010 at 11:42 am
This is a great vegetarian meal!!! My husband is a vegetarian and I am always looking for good recipes. Thank you!
peter - February 9, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Lent is coming up and this Lentil Loaf (how fitting) would be perfect!
Arlene (MOM) - February 9, 2010 at 1:28 pm
I just got some lentils for soup but I think this looks better. Yep, that would be great for Lent as Peter suggested.
Teresa - February 9, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I love this dish. It reminds me of a recipe my grandmother used to make for Lent. Thanks Jenn, I think I’ll try it.
Simone (junglefrog) - February 9, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Sounds great! I try to eat vegetarian meals a couple of days a week and this looks perfect.
Pam - February 9, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Jenn, what wonderful color and yummy comfort food it would be too for our snowy days right now….yumm!
xoxo
allison lemons - February 10, 2010 at 12:18 am
I love vegetarian dishes that are filling enough to be a main course. I so don’t use lentils often enough – this is inspiring!
Toni - February 10, 2010 at 1:57 am
I’m always hunting for good vegetarian dishes to intersperse with the ones containing animal protein. Love the addition of sun dried tomatoes!
DebinHawaii - February 10, 2010 at 5:08 am
Gorgeous! It looks so healthy and full of flavor!
lo - February 10, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Such a big fan of red lentils (and meatless meals!) — this is my kind of food.
The maple syrup is an interesting addition to the tomato sauce. I had no idea maple & tomato had an affinity for one another!
tasteofbeirut - February 11, 2010 at 1:34 pm
This is a great dish, besides I love anything with lentils; I am going to have to investigate this sprouting technique soon!
diva - February 11, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Looks really yum! I love lentils so I could prob eat about half at a sitting.
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - February 11, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Lentils are one of the most nutrient dense foods…I love how created a main course out of them. Joe and I have been eating meatless meals on a regular basis – it started as one ways we’re voting with our dollars against the big meat industry. We were both so thrilled to find that you can eat flavor-packed, nourishing meals with no meat at all. We’re going to try this soon.
HoneyB - February 12, 2010 at 8:25 am
This is a recipe right up my alley! Looks very delicious Jenn!
lisaiscooking - February 12, 2010 at 11:00 am
I’m a big lentil fan, and I love how hearty and healthy this sounds. Now, I want to learn more about sprouting. Thanks for the info!
Joan Nova - February 12, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Really interesting ingredients in this dish. I’m intrigued with the loaf and adding nutmeg and mustard — and the sauce really sings out with maple syrup. Plus it looks beautiful.
Make Roux - February 13, 2010 at 12:14 am
Oh, that looks divine… and inspiring.
Aggie - February 14, 2010 at 8:39 am
This is so up my alley Jenn…I have been eating more veggie meals lately. I have everything I need for this…I am definitely going to make it. It sounds delicious!!!
Nadia @ for the love of yum - February 17, 2010 at 1:37 pm
I can’t wait to make this! Looks so hearty and comforting, just what I need for these last days (fingers crossed) of winter!
Johanna GGG - February 22, 2010 at 7:24 am
just my sort of loaf – sounds delicious – and that sauce is a great combination of flavours – this would go well with some roast vegies – and is a lovely example of how to eat well and cheaply – much better than any prepackaged meal
Liz from Simple Italian Cooking - May 6, 2010 at 10:14 pm
I love using lentils in my meals. I’ve made lentil bolognese too, but I’d like to give the loaf a try. I love it is GF, my brother in law is GF.
Sharon, in San Francisco - December 16, 2010 at 12:49 am
Do the red lentil have to be soaked for this to be successful? They fall apart pretty easily when I make soup or curry with them, and it seems as though I’d end up with mush if I soaked them.
The Leftover Queen - December 16, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hi Sharon, you do not have to soak them if you don’t want to. I do soak mine, and they stay pretty well in shape as you can see from the photo.