Not Your Mamma’s Meat Loaf

Another great recipe I made from Christina Pirello - ChristinaCooks.com

Not Your Mamma’s Meat Loaf

1 cup brown or green lentils, sorted, rinsed well  (I used brown)
3 cups spring or filtered water
1 bay leaf
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 small carrot, finely diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup grated vegan mozzarella ‘cheese’
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I used a slice of Ezekiel bread toasted and ground)
5 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon barley malt (I used 1 tbsp. Agave syrup)
1 teaspoon dried basil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Place lentils, water, bay leaf, onion and garlic in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until lentils are soft, about 35 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf and drain away any remaining cooking liquid. Transfer lentil mixture to a mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 350o and lightly oil a standard loaf pan.

Stir carrot, oats, mozzarella and bread crumbs into cooked lentils. Whisk together tomato sauce, barley malt, basil, salt and pepper to taste and fold into lentil mixture.

Spoon lentil mixture into prepared loaf pan and press the top firmly with a spatula. Bake 35-45 minutes, until the top of the loaf is firm and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before inverting loaf onto a platter.

Makes 6-8 servings

I served it over brown jasmine rice.  You can top it with a yummy vegan gravy too!