Lentil Loaf with Garlicky Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes

I had a ton of potatoes that had piled up from the CSA so of course I had to make some mashed potatoes and well, what goes better with mashed potatoes than lentil loaf.



Of course, that didn't use up all the potatoes so we will be making scalloped potatoes later in the week. This lentil loaf recipe comes from the best tool on the internet, the Magical Loaf Studio from The Vegan Lunchbox. I served it with mashed potatoes and roasted garlicky brussel sprouts (recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz).

Lentil Loaf

1/2 cup walnuts
2 TB olive oil
One onion, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
One large carrot, peeled and grated
Two celery ribs, diced
2 cups cooked red lentils
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth, if needed (I did not need this)
1 heaping TB flaxseed meal
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried basil
2 TB nutritional yeast flakes
2 TB ketchup
Several dashes vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 TB soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the walnuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny (you may not need to add any liquid if the grains and protein are very moist). Add more binder/carbohydrate as needed if the loaf seems too wet.

Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice.