lovely lentils

When my mister and I were first dating, we were pretty serious vegans. Ofcourse as time went on and we became pregnant + had littles, we fell off the wagon. No, we just felt it was better for us as parents to not be fanatical about anything in particular. However, we still eat many vergetarian + vegan meals and I wanted to introduce this meal that we prepare that your family might also enjoy. Besides being ultra healthy, incorporating vegetarian meals into our diet cuts down on the amount of meat we purchase in the store {by alot!}, which greatly reduces our weekly grocery bills. Which is always a good thing! The Lentil Loaf is a great preparation becasue it it comes out looking quite attractive, is delicious and is best when eaten with sides of veggies, mashed potatoes and ketchup!

To make this Lentil Loaf, begin by placing a bag of dry red lentils in a pot with 5-6 cups of water; bring to a boil, then reduce to low until most of the water has been absorbed. Chop 1/2 of a yellow onion and 1 red pepper. Heat some olive oil and some red curry paste 1/2 tsp. or more to taste {I use the Thai Kitchen brand; it is a tiny jar, but you'll have it for quite a while!} in a pan, then add your onion and pepper.

Once the peppers and onions have finished cooking, remove from heat. The next step is to combine your lentils, 1 egg and the pepper/onion mix {oil and all}, into a large mixing bowl. Then add your bread crumbs. I have never measured this out, I just continue to add a bit at a time, making sure it is all mixed thouroughly, until it feels good and thick. Spread your lentils into a baking dish {I spray my baking dish with a non stick spray first}. Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 350', then uncover it and cook for another 10 minutes. You can check it with a knife, but it may still be a bit soft...the best thing to do is to let it sit and cool for a bit before serving it. The Lentil loaf is even better after it has gone into the fridge and is reheated the next day!

{I just could not resist sneaking in a photo of my little man, the most sweetest of peas...}Lentil loaf is so great because it really gives the illusion of a "meatloaf and potatoes" meal, while being a super healthy, vegetatrian option. I love anything that can be made easily and in large enough amounts so that we have leftovers for another night! This has been especially helpful this week when we would rather spend our timehaving fun together as a family, rather than slaving over the stove! I hope you enjoy this!
Have a wonderful weekend!
a.