Holiday Lentil Loaf with All the Trimmings

Holiday Lentil with All the Trimmings

by Camillo Sabella Loaf

Food Styling and Photos by Chef Camillo Sabella

Lentil Vegetable Loaf

This dish is packed with flavor and makes for a delicious holiday entrée sure to please everyone at your table. You can make this loaf a day ahead or hours before your meal. These recipes will serve 6 to 8 guests.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¼ cups dry brown lentils • 3 cups vegetable broth • 4 Tablespoons golden ground flax seed meal • ½ cup water • 3 Tablespoons olive oil • 4 cloves garlic, grated • 1 medium onion, finely diced • 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced • 1 small green bell pepper, finely diced • 1 large carrot, finely diced • 1 large celery stalk, finely diced • 2 leeks, white part only, finely diced • ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats • ½ cup gluten-free oat flour • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • ¼ cup flat Italian parsley, remove stems and chop

Glaze

• 3 Tablespoons organic ketchup • 1 Tablespoon balsamic glaze • 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. • Prepare lentils: Rinse lentils, removing odd pieces. In a large pot, add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once done, uncover and set aside to cool. There should be a little bit of water in the pot. Don’t drain the water. The lentils will thicken as they cool.

Cool for about 15 minutes. Also, the lentils will be a little mushy.

This is OK. About ¾ of the mixture will be pureed later when the mixture cools. • Make flaxseed egg substitute: In a small bowl, combine the flax seed meal and the ½ cup water. Set aside for 10 minutes. • Sauté vegetables and spices: In a sauté pan, heat oil or water over medium heat. Sauté garlic, onion, bell peppers, carrots, leeks and celery for about 5 minutes. Add spices, mixing well to incorporate.

Set aside to cool. • Mash the lentils: Using an immersion blender, food processor, back of a fork, or a potato masher, blend ¾ of the lentil mixture. • Assemble the lentil loaf: Combine sautéed vegetable with the lentils, parsley, oats, oat flour and flax egg.

Mix well. Taste, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also add any other herb or spice you might like.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the paper overlap the side of the pan for easy removal later.

Place mixture into loaf pan. Press mixture firmly into loaf pan, pressing down firmly, filling in along the pan’s edges. • Glaze: Combine the above Glaze ingredients into a small bowl. Mix until incorporated. Spoon glade over top of the lentil loaf. • Bake: Place on center rack of oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Best to cool overnight or at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. Cooling well enables you to slice the loaf nicely.

ROASTED Brussels Sprouts

with Apples & Pomegranate Seeds

This dish makes a great Autumn side dish, and a festive addition to your holiday table!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half • 3 Tablespoons olive oil • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon onion powder • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced small • 2 Tablespoons balsamic glaze • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds • salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. • Slice the ends off the Brussels sprouts and cut the sprouts in half, lengthwise. Place all sprouts into a large bowl and add the

Granny Smith apples. Add olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Mix well with a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients. • Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Transfer the mixture from the bowl to the sheet tray. Place tray in preheated oven.

Roast for 45 minutes. • Remove sheet tray from oven. Transfer the roasted mixture into a large serving bowl. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Mushroom Sage Gravy

This savory vegan gravy is simple to prepare and ready within an hour. It’s a delicious addition to any holiday meal.

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trim stems and slice thin • 10 ounces white button mushrooms, trim stems and slice thin • 1 medium sweet white onion, peeled and sliced thin • 4 cloves garlic, grated • ½ cup white wine • 3 ½ cups vegetable stock • 2 teaspoons agave • 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or arrowroot • ½ cup cold water • 10 fresh sage leaves, remove stems and chop • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. • Add onion and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze by adding white wine to the saucepan. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock, coconut aminos and agave. Bring to a boil then simmer. • Combine flout and cold water in a bowl, stirring until smooth.

This is called a slurry. Add slurry to the saucepan, return to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. • Add sage, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Whipped Maple

Sweet Potatoes

with Roasted Pecans

Whipped sweet potatoes are a holiday favorite. This version is dairy-free, vegan and refinedsugar free and guaranteed to please your guests! Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed • ½ cup pure unsweetened canned coconut milk • 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon • Pinch ground nutmeg • salt and ground black pepper to taste • ¼ cup roasted pecans, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Fahrenheit. • Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Place potatoes on sheet tray. Roast for 55 minutes until potatoes are very soft.

Remove the sheet tray of potatoes from the oven. • In a small sauce pot, heat the coconut milk, maple syrup, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg over low heat. Keep warm (not hot) until ready to puree the potatoes. • When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off with a spoon and scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add the warmed seasoned coconut milk mixture to the bowl and puree until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. • Remove from food processor. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Add pecans.