Artichoke Lentil Loaf

There is something comforting about a “meat” loaf or as is the case with this recipe a lentil loaf! This is the first lentil loaf I have made and hubby Tom and I both enjoyed it immensely. Lentils lend it a somewhat meaty texture and it’s hearty as well as filling. The leftovers were just as delicious as the first day. We have a new favorite meatless meal!

If you have a silicone loaf pan go ahead and use it. I don’t own one so I used a regular ceramic loaf pan and it came out perfectly – no sticking.

A little corn on the cob  and steamed green beans. What’s not to like about this plant based meal?

Artichoke Lentil Loaf

• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups finely chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils or 1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium or no-salt-added lentils, drained
•  6 frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and mashed – I used a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen artichokes- chopped in a food processor
• 1/3 cup finely chopped raw pecans or walnuts
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup tomato paste (+ extra reserved for top of loaf)- next time I would also mix in a little Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or whole wheat flour)
•  1 tablespoon of Kirkland no salt seasoning or Mrs Dash
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a saute pan, heat one tablespoon of water or vegetable broth. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, cover and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add celery, parsley and poultry seasoning. Saute another 5 minutes, adding more water if needed to prevent sticking.

Place the sauteed vegetables in a bowl and add the lentils, mashed artichokes, pecans, rolled oats, tomato paste, arrowroot powder, no salt seasoning and black pepper. Stir well to combine.

Lightly rub a loaf pan with minimal amount of oil. Fill the loaf pan with lentil mixture and press down evenly. Spread a 1/8 inch layer of reserved tomato paste over top. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 1 loaf

Servings: 6

*Estimated Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 189 Calories, 9 g Protein, 29 g Carbohydrates, 5.3 g Fat, 146 mg Sodium, 8.7 g Fiber, WWPP 5

Recipe adapted from Dr Fuhrman’s  Eat For Health book.

*The nutritional information and WW PP values posted on Nutmeg Notebook are my best estimates based on the brands of products I use and the software programs used to calculate them. If you rely heavily on the nutritional information and WWPP values I encourage you to double check the values given, using the brands of products you use. If you find big differences feel free to email me or leave me a comment letting me know.

Lentils cook up quick and easy but if life is busy you can save even more time by buying lentils already cooked and ready to go. Not only do they work well in the lentil loaf but they are outstanding in soups or seasoned up with Mexican spices for Chili Lentil Tacos.

Lentils don’t have a lot of flavor on their own but they soak up the seasonings that you use with them. They are a power house of fiber and protein yet relatively low calorie.

Nutmeg Notes

The other day I tried my hand at making flax seed crackers and they turned out amazing! I’m discovering so many new recipes and foods to try. I am so behind in posting recipes. If I don’t get caught up soon I might forget everything I have made ha ha! Life is just a little crazy busy around here right now but hopefully when things slow down a bit I can get back to posting more often.

I have lost a little more weight and now have about 7 1/2 pounds to my goal weight! Our new mostly plant based diet is working well for both of us. We have a new list of favorite meals and recipes. We realize now how adaptable we really are. Once you leave the salt, sugar and fat behind the true flavor of real food comes alive. Fruit and vegetables just seem to explode with flavor. It’s amazing!

Hope you all are having a fantastic week.

Tami

Add Your Thoughts!

Have your tried lentils?