Lentil Apple Walnut Loaf

Lentil Apple Almond Loaf

1/2 cup lentils, cooked with a bay leaf till tender.

Olive oil

3 T flax

1 onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, choppped

3/4 cup almonds, chopped

1 apple, finely chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 t dried thyme

2 T rice vinegar

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup raisins

pinch salt and pepper

1 cup bread crumbs (can use gluten-free bread for this)

Glaze

4 T ketchup

2-3 T honey

3 T applesauce

2 T apple cider vinegar

1 T arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

Preheat oven to 350.

Get lentils cooking.  Mix flax with 1/2 cup water, let stand in a bowl.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and saute onions, almonds, and carrots 2-3 minutes, till softened.  Add rice vinegar, and saute a 1-2 more minutes.  Add in apple, zucchini, raisins, and thyme, and cook 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.  Toss in balsamic, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.  Transfer to a large bowl and mix in breadcrumbs and flax/water mix.

In the meantime, combine ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk till combined and thickened. Mix a little less than half the glaze in with the loaf mix.  Press mix into a loaf pan, or into muffin tins if you wish to speed up cooking time (like impatient me).  Brush remaining glaze over the top of your loaf/muffins.

Bake for 30 minutes (muffin tins) or 45 (loaf pan) till top is slightly crisped and your kitchen smells tasty.

Served it all with roasted broccoli and sweet potato, and a strawberry massaged kale salad (massage kale with a bit of salt, toss in apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and honey, and toss with sliced strawberries and salted sunflower seeds), and we were a bunch of happy (and healthy!) girls.