Lentil Loaf Goodness

OK, before you tell me that there is NO WAY you'd EVER eat something called Lentil Loaf just trust me on this. You have to, because it's good. Better than good. Just look at the unique-ish combination of flavors going on here- ginger, ketchup (what the heck?! stay with me here), onions, cilantro, the garlic I'm recommending you add. Oh my! Seriously, just make it. Since we have a vegetarian kitchen, I miss my moms meatloaf. She does this ketchup/barbecue sauce thing on the top, and the flavors in this recipe reminded me of that. It was good all by itself, but true to its inspiration, the leftover ideas are even better. Husband enjoyed it rolled into a flour tortilla. My mouth watered at a sandwich. I think it was divine intervention that the day I was at Great Harvest they had Garlic/Cheddar Cheese Bread. I didn't toast the bread, but OH I SO will next time and then slather on my sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

P.S. Could someone please tell me what the heck I do with all these cooked lentils? I cooked the whole bag, and I have WAY too many! Of course, I could make another lentil loaf. ;)


Carrot-Lentil Loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups sliced carrot (I used matchstick and kinda sauted them for a bit)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced onion (see my previous post about carmelizing)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (Ginger is KEY!)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups cooked lentils
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup garlic-and-herb breadcrumbs (I had homemade croutons and whirled them)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Steam carrot, covered, 15 minutes or until tender.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger (and garlic); sauté 7 minutes or until golden.

Combine the carrot, onion mixture, lentils, and the next 4 ingredients (lentils through egg) in a food processor (I skipped the food processor part), and process until smooth. Combine carrot mixture, oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts, and salt in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Yield
6 servings