St. Patrick's Day Hangover - Lentil Loaf

Did ya'll make it? Did you have as wild a night as I did? I was actually shocked at the amount of people on the streets last night. St. Patrick's Day falling on a Saturday was quite special and meant an early start but I really didn't think  the streets would be so busy as early as 2pm! You couldn't pass a bar without seeing a line up!

Needless to say we started early and ended late which made for quite the lazy day today. Luckily I had some delicious Lentil Loaf I could easily heat up and fill my angry belly!

I found this recipe at Healthful Pursuit and could not wait to try it! Growing up meatloaf is one of those things you're supposed to dislike as a kid and I suppose I did. As an adult I quickly realized not only the value of the easy to make dish but how delicious it actually was. So, this is one of those dishes that I now find myself missing as a vegetarian. This vegan version really hits the spot and I suddenly don't miss the meat anymore!

I will warn you that although this is easy to put together it is time consuming. Maybe it's due to my poor chopping skills or my stupid tiny kitchen but I found that I couldn't wait to eat this for dinner and ended up eating something else and saving this for lunches and leftovers.

Small right?? Even when we get rid of that big, countertop dishwasher we aren't left with much space. Most of the chopping, mixing and planning happens at the kitchen table.

But, a little goes a long way with this dish! It's filling, tasty and nutritious so it's well worth the time! I'd pair it with a green salad or steamed veggies. Or for something more traditional a little garlic mashed potato!

Ingredients

2 tbsp ground flax seeds

6 tbsp boiling water

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, diced (I used white but would use a crimini next time for a bolder flavour)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

½ tsp dried thyme

1 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups cooked green lentils, cooled

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup almond flour 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and start a pot of water to boil to cook your lentils.

In a small pour the boiling hot water over the flax seeds. Mix well and set aside to cool. This will thicken and act as a bonding agent later.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion and garlic sautéing for 5-8 minutes until the onions are tender. Add in the mushrooms and cook another 3 to 5 minutes then add the thyme and spinach for another 2 min or so. Add in 1/2 cup of the BBQ sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Once cooked, process 1 1/2 cups of the cooked lentils and 1/2 cup of the oats in a food processor or blender until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl then add in the remaining lentils and oats, plus the flax “egg”, almond flour and vegetable mixture. Stir really well to combine, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!.

Spoon the mixture into a greased loaf pan. Make sure you press it in firmly. Brush on the remaining BBQ sauce ion top, put as much or as little as you’d like. I always prefer more :)

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cool for another 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

I kept mine in the pan to store in the fridge and spooned out my servings as I liked. This is great served with salad or would be nice with some steamed vegetables.