Christmas Lentil Loaf

serves 8

1 Cup Green or Brown Lentils, uncooked

2½ Cups Vegetable Broth

½ Cup Pecans, roughly chopped and toasted

½ Cup Walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

3 Tablespoons Ground Flax or Ground Chia

⅓ Cup Warm Water

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, chopped

2 Medium Carrots, peeled and chopped

1- 8 oz. Tub (around 2 cups) of Mushrooms, sliced

4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

½ teaspoons Salt (or more to taste)

Several Grinds of Pepper

1 teaspoon Dried Thyme

¼ teaspoon Cayenne

¾ Cup Rolled Oats

½ Cup Flour

2 Sheets of vegan Puff Pastry, Thawed

2 Tablespoons of Non-Dairy Milk (used to brush on the pastry)

Method

• Preheat oven to 200ºC.

• Add the lentils to a medium pot with the vegetable broth.

• Cover, and bring to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft, even mushy.

• Use a potato masher and mash the lentils until about two-thirds of the lentils are mush.

• In a small bowl mix together the flax or chia with water and thicken. Flax will take about 10 minutes whereas chia will thicken almost instantly.

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.

• When hot, add the onions, celery and carrots and sauté until they soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

• Add the mushrooms and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the mushrooms have shrunken and become juicy.

• Add in the garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne and sauté about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

• In a large bowl, mix the lentils, toasted nuts, veggies, flax mixture, oats and flour flour together, and set aside.

• On a lightly floured surface roll out one of the puff pastry sheets until you get a rectangle that is about 10 inches by 14 inches.

• Transfer the pastry sheet to parchment paper.

• Take half of the lentil mixture and form a loaf shape down the middle of the puff pastry, leaving a bit of room at both ends.

• Pat the mixture into a firm log.

• Cut strips down each side about 1 inch wide.

• Cut off the top two and bottom corners and set aside.

• Now fold up the top flap over the end, then take the top left strip and fold over the loaf.

• Take the top right strip and fold that over, making an x.

• Do this all the way down the crisscrossing strips.

• Try to keep the strips close together leaving only small gaps.

• Once you get near the bottom, fold the bottom flap up, then finish crossing the last strips tucking the ends into anywhere they look good.

• Brush the top with non-dairy milk and move to a baking sheet.

• Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes checking every now and then until it's all golden brown and gorgeous.

• Serve straight from the oven with onion gravy and stuffing.

• You can prepare the lentil mixture up to 3 days ahead of time, store in an air-tight container in the fridge, then wrap your loaves when ready to bake