Lentil Loaf

Mmmmm, this is a staple in our house, and one I can't BELIEVE I haven't posted. We have it all the time. What was I thinking?

This recipe hearkens back to old-school vegetarianism where the recipe creators, in all their wisdom, wanted to make SURE we were getting a "complete protein" and plenty of it, lest we waste away of protein-deficiency (like that happened to anyone, right??).

Well, no worries my friends, you'll get a triple dose (or more) in every serving! This is not "light" or "low-cal" but has loads of fiber, nuts, veggies, and other good stuff.

Whether you bake it in a "loaf" shape or just in a casserole dish, it makes a great Thanksgiving main dish too - perfect if you're looking for something brown and savory to go with mashed potatoes and gravy!

Back in my pre-vegan days I made this with "real" eggs and cheese and it was delicious then too - but veganizing was really easy and equally tasty!! However, I still respect the fact that half my veggie-type friends are lacto-ovo - so if you're one of those, and just don't happen to have egg-replacer and vegan cheese handy, feel free to substitute with cheese and eggs, it'll be fine. (And vegan police, leave me alone - it's my blog and I'll post whatever I want to, thankyouverymuch).

This is also good if you let it sit until cool and slice for "meatloaf" sandwiches. My kids would eat an entire loaf in one sandwich if I let them...Feel free to substitute as needed here, the vegetables and seasonings can be played with according to your tastes.

Lentil Loaf

• 2 cups well-cooked, fairly dry brown lentils (make sure to cook them in seasoned vegetable broth or at least salted water!!)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup rolled oats (quick or large flake)
• 1 cup dry Italian seasoned bread-crumbs
• 1 cup grated cheddar-style Daiya vegan cheese
• 3 tbsp. melted margarine (yes, I know, but otherwise it dries out really bad!!)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (I'm allergic to walnuts though they are good for you, so use whatever)
• 2 egg-replacer (powder and water mixed in the amount to = two eggs)
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice or tomato sauce mixed with water OR 1 1/2 cups mushroom soup (not straight from a can, but diluted with water)
• 1 package George Washington Broth (or 1 tsp. vegetarian broth/bullion powder)
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 tsp powdered sage
• ¼ – 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix lentils, onion, mushroom, celery, oats, crumbs, nuts and cheese in a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the melted margarine, egg-replacer and tomato or mushroom soup and mix again.
- Add the broth/bullion powder, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Let sit for 30 min. The mixture should be VERY thick and dense, so a spoon could stand up in the batter, if too sloppy, add more breadcrumbs, this part always needs to be estimated.
- (OPTIONAL STEP) For a "smoother" textured loaf, you can mix it with an electric eggbeater-type mixer at this point if you want, it's a bit thick but works fairly well...
- Spray a large loaf pan (or flatter casserole-type dish) with cooking spray and pour/scrape the lentil mixture in. Even out the top surface with a spatula or fork. (If there's extra, put in a smaller pan and bake less time).
- Bake uncovered 45 - 50 minutes (for a loaf, less for a flatter dish) or until top is golden and crispy and a knife comes out almost clean - (if top is getting too crunchy, cover with ketchup, BBQ sauce or cover pan with foil) .
- Let cool at least 5 minutes. Run knife around edges.
- Turn out onto serving platter and garnish with parsley, if desired.