Really Good Vegetarian Meatloaf
Soak 2 c. of water and 1 c. dried lentils overnight. In the morning, drain off the liquid, and boil 2 c. water for each cup of soaked lentils in a saucepan. Simmer covered for 25 – 30 min, or until soft. Drain and partially mash lentils. Cool slightly. Stir in:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 c. quick oats
- 3/4 c. grated cheese or bbq sauce
Add remaining ingredients:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 1/2 oz tomato sauce
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. basil
- 1 t. parsley
- 1 1/2 t. seasoning salt or to taste (can use regular salt)
- 1/4 t. pepper
Mix well, and put in a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes until the top of the loaf is dry, firm, and golden brown. Cool ten minutes before slicing.
Avivah
I made this today for lunch and it was a hit! Thanks!
The only thing though- the amount of water and cooking time neccesary for the lentils was off- i needed to add more water and cook for twice the length. What kind of lentils do you use? I used brown/green lentils…
I’m glad you liked it! I use brown lentils; an hour for lentils to cook seems like a long time to me. I soak my lentils, which makes it quicker to cook and takes less water.
Maybe it was because my lentils were old. I don’t soak them. Perhaps i put in a drop too much salt (didnt use a measuring spoon) so maybe that is what slowed their cooking time.
Is cheese or bbq sauce better? I don’t have a dairy loaf pan, nor do I want to make another dairy meal a week, but I am truly intrigued by this recipe! I hope to try it on Thursday!
That’s a matter of opinion – they’re both good, but my kids like anything with cheese in it so the dairy version is their preference!
wanted to point out that salt toughens the lentils….
We do not pre soak nor do we salt them…this method works the best and i have cooked whole pots of lentils in less than 1/2 hour
http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/lentiltips.htm
Thanks for the link on cooking lentils! I salt my beans or lentils *after* they’re cooked, because of the point you mentioned. (Also I don’t add tomato products until they’re soft, for the same reason.)
We are going to try something new with this recipe…
make as per recipe but the wrap it in parchment paper like a gefilte loaf. bake it and then slice it into patties so you have instant veggie burgers! you can store these in the freezer for a quick meal.
I made this meatloaf last week, and it was great! I’m putting it on the rotation, and I thank you so much for the recipe, Avivah!
BTW, I sent you an e-mail a while ago, have you received it?
Rina – I’m glad you liked the recipe! I don’t remember getting an email from you; I generally respond within a week or less. So feel free to resend your message. 🙂
I don’t see any salt at all in the recipe, so I’m confused by all the salt comments. We will try salting after boiling though as it seems it could use a bit of salt.
Hi, Cori – originally I posted that the lentils could be boiled with some salt added if desired (I don’t do that but many recipes suggest that), and edited that out based on the feedback so it wouldn’t cause any problems for anyone trying this out. There’s salt added with all of the other ingredients, though!
yummy it looks like a good recipe that i plan on trying…my husband loves lentils and slowly i am starting to like them but am happy for some new recipes to use them with instead of just lentil stew!