Lentil Luvah!

Another vegetarian lunch today. I somehow ended up making non-meat meals over the weekend and for dinner this week. My lunch box and colon are delighted:

• sugar snap peas
• lentil loaf
• 1 mineola
• Brussels sprouts

My old man has been begging me to make this delicious lentil loaf again. It's his favorite and I love it too. It's pretty easy too. I adapted the recipe from this one. Here is the version I made last night.

Lentil Loaf

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, small dice
• 4-5 button mushrooms, chopped
  
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• spices (I used crushed red pepper, more garlic, some cumin and salt and pepper)
• 2 cups cooked French lentils
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 warm water
  
• Ketchup

To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms. Saute until they become tender. Add the spices and cook for a minute or two more.
3. Mush together all of the other ingredients (preferably with clean hands) or use a big spoon. Add the vegetable mixture and mix well. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit of water with the tomato paste dissolved in it. If it seems too wet, brown rice or breadcrumbs should do the trick.
4. Grease a loaf pan with some olive oil. Spread the lentil loaf mixture evenly in the pan and top with ketchup.
5. Cover pan with tinfoil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes – until the top looks crusty and a toothpick comes out clean.

I tried to get fancy with a ketchup design.
Gratuitous side shot. I understand that brick of mushed together lentils, rice and vegetables may not appeal to everyone. But I swear it's really tasty. I think adding in the tomato paste water makes it extra tasty. Anyway, I won't rave on. Try it for yourself.

Same delicious vegetable frittata and 2 slices of Ezekiel toasted in the office toaster. Needless to say, there are a few, shall we say, gastric repercussions to eating a zillion vegetables in one day. Deal with it.