I was waiting until Friday to share this one on the blog, because I think it is really special. I really love reading Angela's Oh She Glows blog, and trust her recipe choices and instincts. So this week she mentioned that this Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf is among her top 10 favorite recipes ever and I decided I need to try it. I admit, "lentil walnut apple loaf" (or, really, anything with the word "loaf") doesn't really sound too appealing. But when I looked at the ingredients, it seemed like a great combination of flavors. It is a little bit labor intensive so I would say it's perhaps a weekend recipe. But on the upside it makes a whole loaf, so you will definitely have leftovers. It is REALLY filling and absolutely delicious - nutty and sweet and smoky. As usual, I made some minor adjustments but the original recipe of Angela's can be found here:
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(I realize this photo is not the most appealing - the top is not burnt, that is the glaze. And it really is super, super moist. I promise.)
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Ingredients:
-1 cup uncooked green lentils
-1 cup walnuts, chopped
-3 tbsp ground flax seed + 1/2 cup water
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 1/2 cups diced mixed onion (I used about 1 cup of yellow onion and 1/2 a cup of combined red onion and shallots for sweetness)
-1 cup diced celery
-1 cup grated carrot
-1/2 cup grated apple (peel before grating)
-1/3 cup raisins
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-3/4 cup breadcrumbs
-2 tsp fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp dried thyme
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tsp red pepper flakes
-2 tsp chipotle Tabasco sauce
Ingredients for Balsamic Apple Glaze and sauce:
-1/4 cup ketchup
-1 tsp chipotle Tabasco sauce
-2 tbsp apple sauce or apple chutney
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Method:
Preheat oven to 325F. Rinse and strain lentils. Place lentils into pot along with 3 cups of water (or veg broth). Bring to a boil and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 45-55 minutes. Stir frequently & add touch of water if needed. The goal is to over-cook the lentils slightly. Mash lentils with a potato masher when ready.
Toast walnuts at 325F for about 8-10 minutes. Set aside. Increase oven temp to 350F. Whisk ground flax with water in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Now add in the diced celery, shredded carrot and apple, and raisins. Saute for about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste. If you need to add a couple tbsp of water, go ahead but it should be very thick and you may need to even mix it all up with your hands.
Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Press mixture firmly into pan with your hands. Whisk glaze ingredients and then spread half on top of loaf. Reserve the rest for a dipping sauce.
Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, uncovered. Edges will be lightly brown. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. It's best to let it cool on the rack another 10-15 minutes before slicing.
This is great served either with some of the remaining glaze/sauce or some applesauce on the side.
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