Vegan Lentil Meatloaf Food

BEST VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Chop garlic cloves, onion and carrot in very small pieces.
• Sauté garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until fragrant. Then add onion and carrot and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
• Chop shallots and add it to the other vegetables. Cook for two more minutes.
• Place the cooked vegetables in a big bowl and add 2 cups of the cooked lentils. Using a hand blender, puree the vegetable/lentil mixture until it forms a smooth paste. Then add walnuts and blend again. This can be done with a food processor as well.
• Add all the spices, the rest of the lentils, breadcrumbs, the flaxseed egg, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and salt and stir to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, pressing with a spoon to get a compact loaf.
• For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together and spread it with a spoon over the top of the loaf.
• Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden brown on the edges.

VEGAN LENTIL NUT "MEAT" LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard loaf pan (or 8x8-inch baking pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Heat a large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and mushrooms and season with a pinch each salt and pepper and the coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes or until caramelized. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat another large cast-iron or metal skillet (or use the same one as you cooked the mushrooms in) over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and arrange sweet potatoes in as even of a layer as possible. Then cover and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown on the underside. Flip, add 3 Tbsp (45 ml) water, and cover. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until tender and browned (but not mushy). Set aside uncovered to cool slightly.
• To a large (at least 7-cup) food processor, add nuts and pulse a few times into a loose meal. Then add sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and thyme, and pulse to combine. Lastly, add lentils, salt, and pepper and pulse to loosely combine but be careful not to purée.
• Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add tomato paste and coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire and stir until a loose dough forms. Then add bread crumbs (we like Ian's gluten-free panko) a little at a time (we used all of the recommended amount) until a thick dough forms. If for some reason it's crumbly (which may happen depending on the texture of your lentils), scoop half of the mixture back into the food processor and pulse until it's more finely puréed and then return back to the bowl and stir with the remaining mixture. If for some reason it's too wet, add more bread crumbs as needed.
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tomato paste for added moisture / tomato flavor, coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire for depth of flavor, salt for saltiness, or thyme to taste.
• Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined loaf pan, spread, and press into an even layer (to avoid a crumbly loaf, tap pan on counter to settle the mixture and place parchment paper on top and press down firmly with a drinking glass or flat bottomed object to pack it well). Then add ketchup glaze (optional but adds plenty of flavor) and spread into an even layer. If not using the glaze, brush the top with a little oil to help the loaf retain moisture.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove and carefully slice and serve.
• Leftovers keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350-F (176 C) oven until warmed through.

TOFU & LENTIL VEGETARIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Combine tomato paste, water, wine, garlic, basil, oregano, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and and reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, then set aside.
• Wash and sort through the lentils, removing any sticks, pebbles, etc. and bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat and cook the lentils, loosely covered, for about 20 minutes or until soft but not disintegrating. Drain any excess water.
• While the lentils are cooking, make the tofu "ground beef" by draining it very well and drying it off with paper towels, then (here comes the fun part), smash it into a bunch of pieces, so it has a ground beef or scrambled egg like consistency.
• Mix the tofu pieces in a bowl with the pepper (I just shake some on, roughly 1/2 tsp), olive oil, and soy sauce. Brown in a frying pan/skillet for a couple minutes until it somewhat resembles ground beef and let cool for a few minutes.
• Combine the cooked lentils, crumbled and cooked tofu, breadcrumbs, zucchini, egg whites, and about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in a large bowl and mix well.
• Shape the mixture into a loaf and place into an ungreased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
• Pour the remaining tomato sauce mix over the top of the loaf, and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Place onto a serving plate and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into 8 slices and serving.