Lentil Meatloaf

jujiplanet

This is a great meatless alternative to meatloaf

So, some of the measurements aren't exact but I will try and give you approximate measurements for how I made it. You may want to add additional things or more of some ingredient or take something out if you think it is too much. I love fresh garlic so I added 3 cloves of garlic! That's the beauty of this recipe...it's open to substitutions and customizing to your own taste!

1 cup of lentils (dry)
1/2 cup of green split peas (dry)
1/2 cup of brown rice

Rinse the lentils and peas well and then cook them by boiling them in 3-4 c water for about 30-40 minutes (until they are soft). Keep an eye on them though because they soak up liquid fast! You can go half water and half vegetable stock for this as well, which is what I did, for more flavor. Add any spices you like because the beans really soak them up and you can create some great flavors! I like Indian spices like cardamom and smoked paprika, but add whatever you like and don't forget to salt and pepper!

Cook the brown rice per the package directions...I use vegetable stock instead of water, though. Adds more flavor

When the lentils and peas are done, let them cool down. Put about 1 cup of the mixture in a food processor and blend them up as much as you can. If you have an immersion blender, it's a little less messy!

Set aside cooked lentils/peas and rice.

2 large carrots (about 1/2 c)
1 medium onion (about 1 c)
1 c kale (I add greens to everything I can)- I steamed mine in veggie stock and garlic and chopped before putting it in the loaf. You can also use spinach if you don't like kale
Whole wheat breadcrumbs (start with 1/3 c but you may want to add more) - (if you are gluten free, textured vegetable protein works great as a substitute)
1 c cooked mushrooms
1 small can tomato paste
3 eggs or 4 egg whites
garlic powder (to taste)

Chop up the carrot, onion, mushrooms and kale in a food processor and set aside. Put whole lentils and lentils that have been processed in a large mixing bowl. Add chopped carrots, onions, mushrooms and kale. Combine (I use my hands ) Add bread crumbs, garlic powder, tomato paste, eggs, and rice. Mix again and add more bread crumbs as needed for consistency.

Place mixture into loaf pan.

Mushroom gravy:

Melt 3 tsp butter
Add 2 tsp flour and chopped onion/garlic/seasonings to taste
Blend together well and cook for a few minutes
Add mushrooms and 1 cup veg stock (may add a little more depending on how thick you like your gravy)
Simmer until mushrooms are cooked through

Pour mushroom gravy (see recipe below) on top. (You can also just use ketchup on top if you would prefer that)

Put in oven for about 30-45 minutes on 350 degrees.

ENJOY!

reander

This sounds pretty great, thanks for posting. Might have to try this at the weekend.

rnroadrunner

any nutritional info for this?

jujiplanet

Well, since the recipe is so versatile and open to lots of substitutions, I didn't really calculate anything except to figure out that it's about 400 calories per serving (I divided the loaf into 6 pieces, so it's a good sized serving for that). Depending on what you add/ include/leave out, you can use the add a recipe tool on here to figure all that out for your own version of the recipe