Pantry Red Lentil Loaf

Pantry Red Lentil Loaf

My mom who lives in Poland is my best friend. I speak to her every week. We talk about everything, including food. She does not like to cook, but enjoys trying out new recipes that are easy and supermarket accessible. Pantry Red Lentil Loaf is such a recipe.

Cheers!

Pantry Red Lentil Loaf

Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown rice (best when cooked in vegetable broth)
1½ cups red lentils
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, grated (about 3 medium sized carrots)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional salt if necessary
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon marjoram (optional)
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
Ground black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons of organic ketchup or barbecue sauce

Directions
Cook brown rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, prepare the lentils. In a medium saucepan, add 1½ cups red lentils, 2½ cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the lentils are mushy. Mix and add an additional splash of water if necessary to prevent from sticking to the pan. Mushy lentils are the perfect texture for this recipe; so don’t worry if they lose their shape.

While the lentils are cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare the vegetables. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil or water over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add cooked brown rice, cooked red lentils, and all the spices. Mix and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Grease 8-inch loaf pan and add the loaf mixture. Pat down loaf mixture firmly and tightly. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of ketchup or barbecue sauce on top of the loaf evenly. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 1 hour. Allow the loaf to cool before serving.