lentil – The Clean Eating Mama

dinner, lentil, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Vegan Lentil Loaf

November 27, 2012 CleanEatingMama

I was never a fan of meat loaf. Even before I became vegetarian the thought of a large loaf of mixed meat, spices and crusty ketchup turned my stomach. Almost as bad as creamed green bean casserole. But I do love lentils. Maybe a little too much.

Nah… you can never love lentils too much.

This recipe is relatively easy and simple. You can make it in a traditional loaf pan or use a casserole dish like I did. It’s hearty, filling, comforting and vegan… feel free to add other vegetables as it would only enhance the flavor profile. The next time I make this I will probably add red bell pepper, cilantro and corn for a tex-mex feel.
Enjoy kids!

Vegan Lentil Loaf

1 1/2 cups uncooked lentils – either green or yellow
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 large yellow onion, or 2 medium – it’s better to have too much than not enough
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped baby tomatoes
assorted herbs – dill, thyme, Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder or 3 cloves chopped garlic
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat to 375 degrees
In a large pot, cook lentils in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and mash slightly. In a large sauce pan, add olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add onion, tomatoes,a pinch of salt and let cook down for 10 minutes. Add garlic powder (or garlic) and the remainder of the herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 3-5 more minutes.
In a large pan, mix lentils, rice, onion mixture, ketchup and hot sauce. Taste and season to your liking.
Transfer lentil mixture to baking dish of choice. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Check and see if the top of crunchy. Depending on the depth of your pan will determine the cooking time. I baked mine for 35 minutes but it could have baked for a bit longer for a crustier finish.
You can always top your loaf with ketchup, too.
Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing.

I received some emails stating that it fell apart when it was cut. I have made this loaf 2 or 3 times and I admit there was a time or two that it did fall apart. It still tastes amazing… just may be more like a lentil pile instead of a slice.

lentil, main dish, vegan, vegetarian

Vegan Meatless Lentil Loaf

March 27, 2011 CleanEatingMama

I have tried a few different loaf recipes but they always seemed to flop. They tasted good, but either were too dry or too sticky. I have finally created a meatless loaf to satisfy both non-meat eats AND meat eaters!

Ingredients

Ketchup or homemade tomato topping (see below)
1 1/3 cup plain oatmeal
1/2 block firm tofu
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms, button’s are fine
2 tablespoons tomato mixture or ketchup
3 tablespoons corn meal
1 cup cooked lentils
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, or a combination of thyme, oregano and rosemary
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Sauce Topping

1 6oz can Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt

Cook lentils – Be sure to rinse and sort lentils as they could have stones or debris in them. Add 2 cups water to one cup of lentils in a pot and turn burner on high. Once boiling, turn heat to medium low and let simmer for 30 – 45 minutes. The lentils should still be whole yet mushy.

Make tomato topping while lentils are cooking. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with a spoon. Taste to see if it may need more salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. In a large skillet add one tablespoon olive oil and put on medium heat, then add chopped vegetables and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook until onions are soft and transparent – about 5-8 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse oats for a few seconds until oats are small.

Drain tofu well and press between a towel or a few paper towels until all moister is gone. Place in a large mixing bowl and break up with a fork. You want to make sure they are in small crumbles.

In the same mixing bowl, add oats, lentils, vegetables, 2 tablespoons of tomato mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Mix until it is all combined – if it is too dry you can always add small amounts of water. You don’t want it too wet, but it should be able to stick together nicely.

A note about the spices – I know there are a lot of spices but I just took what I had in my cabinet and threw it in. You really do not need to add ALL of my suggested spices, but since there is no meat flavor you want to try to make is as flavorful as possible. I found that the poultry seasoning tasted great in it! Taste the mixture before you put it in the pan, making sure it tastes good and is seasoned to your liking.

Spray a loaf pan or small baking dish with non-stick spray. Spoon mixture in dish, then spread the rest of the tomato topping on top evenly. If you are using ketchup, use enough to cover the top evenly.

Cook for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Let cool, slice and serve.

This loaf makes a great meal when paired with a green salad or sautéed kale, and a baked sweet potato.

lentil, soup, vegan, vegetarian

An “Everything Lentil” Soup

January 8, 2011 CleanEatingMama

The more it rains in Seattle the more I crave hearty soup. Hearty soup that has lentils.

What can I say; I am addicted to lentils.

Some of my best meals have been made on the fly with no direction. No recipe. No problem. I peek in the fridge, evaluate my pantry and make a quick sketch in my head of what would work in a pot.

Is it really that simple? Yes. And this is why I love soup.

Everything Lentil Soup

8 cups water/vegetable stock
2-3 tablespoons EVOO
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 head of chard/collard greens, ripped into large pieces + stems
2 cups dry lentils
1 cup uncooked quinoa
salt and pepper to taste
large handful dried basil and parsley

In a large soup pot, add EVOO and turn on Medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, potato and greens. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add liquid, lentils and dried herbs. Bring to a boil then turn to medium/low heat and cover. Cook for an hour OR until lentils are soft.

Add dry quinoa, cover and let cook for 12-15 minutes. Taste to see if it needs more salt/pepper. Turn on heat and let sit for 10-20 minutes. Soup will be thick and delicious!

lentil, recipe, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Lentil Quinoa Soup

December 1, 2010 CleanEatingMama

So let’s see here… how many times have I written about lentil soup?
More than I can count!

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I love lentil soup. It is my go-to comfort food. From start to finish, when I am stressed making lentil soup calms me and fills my belly with hearty goodness.

I had a long day of traveling yesterday and nothing sounded better than a hot bowl of soup. I peeked into my cupboards, searched through the fridge and had enough ingredients to make a delicious batch of soup.

Lentil Quinoa Soup

1 large yellow onion, chopped into bite size pieces
2 large carrots, cut into medium chunks
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup fresh chopped mushrooms, any kind
3/4 cup dried brown/green lentils
5 cups of water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup toasted quinoa
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
handful of dried basil and dried oregano

In a soup pot, add oil and turn on the burner to medium. Add onion, mushrooms, garlic, carrots and a nice pinch of salt. Let cook until onions are translucent and soft.

Add your liquid, lentils, herbs and turn up the heat to high. Once it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and let cook for an hour. Taste and add more seasonings or salt and pepper.

Once the soup is almost done, start toasting your quinoa in a skillet over medium heat. Toasting the quinoa brings the nutty flavor out! Once it is warm and toasted, add to your soup. Cover and let cook for 15-20 more minutes.

lentil, recipe, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Vegan Lentil Soup

January 28, 2010 CleanEatingMama

This thick and hearty soup will keep you full all day from the protein, and have you coming back for seconds at the same time! Packed full of carrots, celery, potatoes and spices, lentils have never tasted so good. It freezes well so make an entire batch for tonight and enjoy the rest next week or in a month.

Ingredients – see below for notes

2 cups lentils, rinsed and looked over
6-8 cups of vegetable stock or water
1 medium yellow onion
2 cups of chopped yellow potatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped or tablespoon of garlic powder
3-4 carrots, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot pour your water/vegetable stock. Turn stove on high heat. Add rinsed lentils, carrots, garlic, onion, potatoes, herbs and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer (medium-low) and cover for an hour.
Check often to make sure water level is not too low, adding small amounts at a time.
The end result should be a thick and creamy soup, with the lentils being broke down and soft. Taste to make sure it is seasoned the way you like it, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
Serves 4-6

Notes –

Use yellow, creamy potatoes in this soup. I used 5-6 fingerlings – I HIGHLY recommend them! You can also use Yukon gold.
I used garlic powder instead of whole cloves.
Add more vegetables for more soup yield. I would have loved to see more vegetables in my soup – next time I will adding double!

Enjoy!