lentil loaf
As soon as the weather cools I find myself drawn to the kitchen to make wholesome foods. With all the wonderful fall flavors to experiment with, I generally find myself making sweet desserts: pumpkin loaves and apple pies. This year though, I’ve been fantasizing about savory fare like potato topped, vegetable pies and seitan with gravy.
This weekend was full of projects and hard work which left little time for fun in the kitchen, let alone trips to the grocery store. Instead I cooked up 2 lentil loaves using the dregs of our pantry and leftovers in the fridge. While that might sound unappetizing, that is the simple beauty of a lentil loaf. You can throw nearly anything in there and it can still turn out delicious.
While I often include some veggies in our lentil loaves, this one is pure faux-meaty goodness. It’s moist and a little bit chewy, with a tiny bit of spicy here and there. We had it with some almond gravy, but it would be wonderful with some simple brown gravy as well (in fact, it doesn’t even need the gravy, but I like gravy and will eat it at any opportunity I get).
I made two completely different recipes, so today I’ll share the the first and once we try the second I’ll post it as well.
Vegan Lentil Loaf
- 2 cups cooked lentils
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup bbq sauce
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
Preheat your oven to 375°
Heat a bit of oil in a small pan and saute the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant.
Mix all ingredients, minus the wheat gluten and veggie broth in a bowl. I like to use potato masher to smoosh (yes, that’s a technical term) some of the lentils. Mix together until you have a consistent mush.
Add in the vital wheat gluten and vegetable broth and knead together until it becomes slightly elastic. Press the dough into a greased loaf pan. Brush the top with ketchup to cover it.
Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
in the kitchen
Despite all the hard work it takes to put together a supper for eight, I do love being able to spend so much time in the kitchen creating an assortment of dishes. Yet again, I got so caught up in preparing and serving everything for our most recent secret supper I didn’t take a single photo the night of the event when everything was finished and presented. I still think just the colorful vegetables, spices and ingredients are beautiful though. Oh and that quiche, it’s making me dream of quiches and pies to come.
The days are getting darker and cooler and I am looking forward to the many delectable meals that will be prepared in our kitchen. The turn of the seasons and the coming of fall brings me so much happiness.
Have a wonderful weekend!
vegan nutella
When planning for our last A Moveable Feast, I knew I wanted to make crepes, and I new I wanted to make them extra special. What’s extra special? Nutella.
While I was apprehensive at first about this recipe, it seemed like the best option rather than getting into a recipe testing spree trying to recreate vegan condensed milk. You can’t really argue with a fresh nut butter and a good cocoa mixed together.
The key to this recipe is the simple act of toasting the hazelnuts, giving it a warm, rich flavor. Peeling the hazelnuts is a pain, even if you scrub them with a damp dish towel, but other than that, this recipe is easier than pie. A word of warning though: hazelnuts, they’re not cheap. It’s totally worth it though as the decadent dark chocolate delicacy is better than any pre-made treat you can buy.
I may or may not be eating this with a spoon for dessert for eternity (or until the jar runs out).
fried green tomatoes
Finally made some fried green tomatoes before summer has ended. Although, here Los Angeles, it feels like it’s just begun. For all intents and purposes, I followed this recipe, although I was pretty loose on that. I’ve never actually had fried green tomatoes before, but I enjoyed these quite a bit. What’s not to love about breaded & fried vegetables?
Been making a few special meals here and there, but nothing profound. Just tasty combinations of things. As it starts to cool down, I know I’ll bee in the kitchen more and sharing various dishes.
Breakfast Feast
A quick announcement that Kim and I will be hosting another A Moveable Feast on Saturday September 17th. I’m particularly excited that the theme this time around will be French inspired breakfast for dinner. So many of my favorite dishes are breakfast treats.
If you’re interested in reserving a seat (and there are only a few left) email veganfeast@gmail.com
