I hope you enjoy my latest creation. A gluten-free, oat-free, whole-foods-plant-based lentil loaf that is completely salt, oil and sugar free too! While there are many different lentil loaf recipes all over the internet, and few of them have quite this many ingredients in them, my goal in creating this recipe was to come up with something that was not only gluten -free, (and free of oats which I don't eat-- even if they are certified gluten-free oats) but also made without oil and tasted good without the addition of salt. The combination of all the different vegetables -- especially beets with all the herbs, seems to do the trick! This makes 8 servings if served with a salad and other sides, or as a one-dish meal, it would serve four.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups dry brown lentils
4 cups filtered water
1 1/2 cups chopped raw walnuts (measure AFTER chopping)
1 cup grated beets
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups finely diced celery
1/4 cup wine
2 cups finely diced onion
5 large cloves of garlic minced
1 cup filtered water
1/3 cup ground golden flax seed
1 tsp agar powder
2 TBS onion powder
1 TBS dried parsley leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chick pea flour
2 1/2 cups dry brown lentils
4 cups filtered water
1 1/2 cups chopped raw walnuts (measure AFTER chopping)
1 cup grated beets
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups finely diced celery
1/4 cup wine
2 cups finely diced onion
5 large cloves of garlic minced
1 cup filtered water
1/3 cup ground golden flax seed
1 tsp agar powder
2 TBS onion powder
1 TBS dried parsley leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chick pea flour
Directions:
1) Place lentils into a two quart pot and pick through them looking for debris to remove (I have found wheat berries in my lentils on occasion.) Fill pot with water and swish lentils around a few times, then drain through a strainer. Repeat this several times until you feel certain lentils are clean. Return drained lentils to pot and add 4 cups of filtered water to pot, cover and heat on high until pot comes to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer until all water is absorbed and lentils are soft (about 15-20 more minutes.) Remove from heat and let sit covered.
2) While the lentils are cooking, chop walnuts into fine pieces until you have 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped walnuts. Place these into a dry, fry pan and heat on medium on stove, stirring frequently just until they begin to brown, then remove from heat.
3.) Place the wine into a large skillet, turn on high and add the onion. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking until the wine is gone. Add the celery and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to keep vegetables from sticking. Then add the grated beets and carrots, stir well, cover and turn heat to low. Allow to cook another five minutes.
4) Place 1 cup of filtered water, the ground flax seeds and agar into blender and blend on high until it is like egg white. Add 1 cup of the cooked lentils to this mixture and blend until smooth. Next add 1 cup of the vegetable mixture and again blend again until smooth.
5) Place into a large bowl, the remaining lentils, toasted walnuts, remaining vegetable mixture, the herbs, and chick pea flour and mix all these together well. Then stir in the contents of the blender and mix well with a spatula until it is all evenly moist.
6) Divide the mixture between two parchment lined bread loaf pans, or a glass baking dish large enough that the lentils aren't more than two or two and half inches deep, and firmly press it into the pan and smooth the top. Place into an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before lifting parchment from pan and slicing the loaf. Serve hot with sauce, and leftovers are great served cold too!
1) Place lentils into a two quart pot and pick through them looking for debris to remove (I have found wheat berries in my lentils on occasion.) Fill pot with water and swish lentils around a few times, then drain through a strainer. Repeat this several times until you feel certain lentils are clean. Return drained lentils to pot and add 4 cups of filtered water to pot, cover and heat on high until pot comes to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer until all water is absorbed and lentils are soft (about 15-20 more minutes.) Remove from heat and let sit covered.
2) While the lentils are cooking, chop walnuts into fine pieces until you have 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped walnuts. Place these into a dry, fry pan and heat on medium on stove, stirring frequently just until they begin to brown, then remove from heat.
3.) Place the wine into a large skillet, turn on high and add the onion. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking until the wine is gone. Add the celery and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to keep vegetables from sticking. Then add the grated beets and carrots, stir well, cover and turn heat to low. Allow to cook another five minutes.
4) Place 1 cup of filtered water, the ground flax seeds and agar into blender and blend on high until it is like egg white. Add 1 cup of the cooked lentils to this mixture and blend until smooth. Next add 1 cup of the vegetable mixture and again blend again until smooth.
5) Place into a large bowl, the remaining lentils, toasted walnuts, remaining vegetable mixture, the herbs, and chick pea flour and mix all these together well. Then stir in the contents of the blender and mix well with a spatula until it is all evenly moist.
6) Divide the mixture between two parchment lined bread loaf pans, or a glass baking dish large enough that the lentils aren't more than two or two and half inches deep, and firmly press it into the pan and smooth the top. Place into an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before lifting parchment from pan and slicing the loaf. Serve hot with sauce, and leftovers are great served cold too!
