Dec

a Gingery Apple Carrot Lentil Loaf with a Cranberry Apple Glaze – peace. love. quinoa

Dec 20

As a vegetarian, I have to get creative with “main course” dishes. People typically make a meat or fish of some sort for their main dish, and then supplement their “meal” with one or two side dishes but I don’t have that option. Often time, veggies are my main course – which often times weirds people out because that’s what they would eat as their side dish. (Anyway, I think THEY are the weirdos haha).

Around the holiday season, when friends and families are gathering around the dinner table, is when people REALLY question what it is that I eat. They can’t understand that I won’t eat turkey, not even on Thanksgiving. It trips people up, but a vegetarian is a vegetarian, even during the holidays. Often times, I just eat several side dishes and completely X out a main course option, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have options.

This Lentil Loaf, for instance is comparable to a meat loaf and can be served as a main dish. I love, love lentil loaves, especially this time of the year – can you say comfort food? THIS is exactly what a vegetarian would serve as their main dish option for a holiday meal.

This loaf was pretty quick to whip up, and I made it because I already had all of the ingredients on hand. One ingredient that I considered adding to the loaf is onion, but I didn’t have it on hand so I didn’t use it. If you’ve got an onion, use it – it’d be a tasty add-in (although I liked the loaf just fine without it). My favorite ingredient in this loaf is the ginger – it added a warm, comforting flavor without over-powering and it smelled so good.

a Gingery Apple Carrot Lentil Loaf with a Cranberry Apple Glaze

Author: peace. love. quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup lentils, uncooked
½ cup mixed nuts, finely chopped
3 tbsp. ground flaxseed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch of ginger, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrot, grated
⅓ cup apple, grated
⅓ cup raisins or dried cranberries
½ cup dried bread crumbs** (see note)
½ cup flour (gluten-free is an option here)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of pepper
1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup cranberry apple sauce or apple sauce
2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette
1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Cook the lentils according to directions then allow them to cool.
In a food processor, puree the lentil and mixed nuts.
In a large pan or wok, sauté the garlic and ginger in oil for about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the apples, carrots, celery, raisins, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
Combine the mixture with the lentils, nuts, flaxseed, flour, bread crumbs, oregano, and thyme. Stir together, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Pack the lentil mixture firmly in to a loaf pan.
Now it’s time to make the glaze!
In a small bowl, whisk together the cranberry apple sauce, ketchup, balsamic glaze, and maple syrup.
Spread evenly over the lentil loaf.
Bake, uncovered, for about 50-60 minutes.

Notes

**If you don’t have bread crumbs on hand, you can take 5-6 slices of bread and put them each in the toaster a few times until the bread is dry and will crumble.

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Tagged with → comfort food • food • healthy • lentil • loaf • main course • main dish • recipe • vegan • vegetarian