Vegetarian Lentil ‘meatloaf’

Food styling, recipes & photography David Neville

	1 medium carrot, peeled, grated
	2 medium onions, grated
	4 cloves garlic, chopped
	2 x 400g cans beluga lentils, drained, rinsed (I used Ceres brand)
	1 cup walnut pieces
	1 cup ground almonds
	1 cup rolled oats
	3 eggs, size 7
	4 teaspoons salt
	1 teaspoon black pepper
	3 tablespoons tomato paste
	2 tablespoons vinegar (any type will do)
	2 tablespoons maple syrup

1.	Put the carrot, onion, garlic and lentils into a food processor.
2.	Pulse 4-5 times to create a coarse paste.
3.	Add the walnuts, ground almonds and oats and pulse an additional 9-10 times until the walnuts are the size of a large match head. Avoid blending until smooth.
4.	Turn the mix into a large bowl and add eggs, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly to form a paste that loosely clumps together.
5.	Line a 30cm x 7cm x 11cm baking tin with baking paper and spread the lentil mix in evenly.
6.	Mix the tomato paste, vinegar and maple syrup in a small dish and spread over the lentil mix.
7.	Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 50 minutes. Insert a skewer and check it removes cleanly.
8.	Remove from the oven – it will still feel soft to the touch at this stage.
9.	Allow to stand for 45 minutes and it will firm up as it cools.
10.	Slice into 1cm-thick slices and place back into the oven for 3-4 minutes to return to a good eating temperature.
11.	Serve with tomato chutney, buttered baby potatoes and beans.