Monday, April 12, 2010

A Win for Picky Eater and Me!

Day 102.

In case you didn't read earlier, my daughter announced that she might be a vegetarian that eats bacon and sausage and tacos. So, I agreed to make vegetarian meals for her, if she agreed to eat her vegetables. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to stuff her full of vitamins, I made a vegetarian meal for the family for dinner tonight, and carefully planned it to include lots of foods she wouldn't normally consider. It wasn't that I wanted to sabotage her healthy efforts, no, definitely not. Rather, I wanted to show her that the foods she snubs can be delicious. And it worked. Picky Eater loved it.

Multigrain Lentil Loaf

What You Need:
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • 2 carrots, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped green chili peppers (from a can)
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, because I had it. Any cheese will do, and feel free to leave it out if you'd prefer)
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame butter)
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 egg
  • for topping: 2 Tbsp tomato paste plus 1 tsp soy sauce
How it's Done:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for topping ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Form into a loaf shape in the pan.
  3. Spread topping over loaf.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes. Let the loaf stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
  5. After slicing, if you prefer a firmer loaf, bake on a greased baking sheet for about 10 minutes or so, turning once.
On the side, I served cooked baby carrots, and I called them sweet carrots.

Sweet Carrots

What You Need:
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
How it's Done:
  1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, bringing to a simmer, until carrots are slightly softened, about ten to fifteen minuets. Sauce will have thickened.

7 comments:

Angie said...

That Multigrain Lentil Loaf look and sounds so good! I will have to try that out!

Lisa said...

wow, this is chock full of goodness. I think I would like it...I love lentils, but I'm afraid my family wouldn't touch it. Maybe I'll try it sometime.

Unknown said...

I am definitely not a vegetarian, but I gotta say.. you made that lentil loaf look so good, I think even my picky eater would have loved it!

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

I have a bag of lentils that have been sitting around my pantry for far too long. I'm pretty sure its because they were waiting for this recipe - its their destiny! What a tasty looking loaf and chock full of goodness. I am bookmarking this one for sure YUM!!!

Jessy said...

What a delicious looking loaf! My family loves meatloaf, but I'm not sure I can sub this for my regular recipe. Maybe sub some of the lean meat with some lentils or perhaps tvp. Any ideas?

jessyburke88@gmail.com

Michelle said...

Jessy, you could definitely add cooked lentils to a stadard meatloaf recipe to boost nutrition. :)

Samara Link said...

I actually thought I already commented to tell you this ... but I guess I didn't. So, I'll say it now. I made your lentil loaf, and I loved it. I actually have always loved lentils, but until reading your recipe, I'd never cooked them at home or made anything out of them. I was so impressed with this dish. The flavor was great! I cooked it for the full 45, and I thought mine was a little dry. So, next time, I'll shoot for 30 -- the lower time frame you suggested. My husband wasn't crazy about it, but I thought it was excellent, and I'll be making it again. I'm working my way through all your vegetarian suggestions!!

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