I am visiting family for the Christmas break. So I am laptop-less and without my large collection of baking supplies. This means I may not post many recipes. I brought a Stollen with me, which turns out I put too much rose oil in, I think I lost count when adding the drops. My terrible attention span strikes again! Turns out the stollen is especially lovely toasted this time though.

Most years I make the very traditional Lentil Nut Loaf for Christmas dinner. It is handy as it can be pre-made, sliced and popped under the grill or in the oven to heat up. Here is the blog rule breaking part….I feel awful doing this but I am going to share the recipe without a picture of it! 😦 Don’t hate me!!!!

It is just that this Christmas I am going to have a festively seasoned soup like thing instead. Therefor I am not making said Lentil Nut loaf and have no pictures. Previous to blogging I did not photograph my food, surprisingly enough. 😉

Here is a link for this year’s dinner over on the PPK.com, Mushroom Hot Pot. I have adapted the recipe a little; I use fresh shiitake in it and leave out the red peppers and lemongrass. I think lemongrass tastes slivery coloured, metallic and a little medicinal. I am not a fan in other words. I have the Hot Pot with veggies on the side and maybe lentils or beans thrown in to it.

Here is my imageless….

Very Traditional Vegan Lentil Nut Loaf

This recipe is a mix of many, from cookbooks and various websites. It also changes slightly every time I make it. I seem to have never written down the many versions!!! Only for my friend Fiona asking for the recipe recently it may never have appeared in text form. 🙂 I think the most influential recipe for my Lentil Nut Loaf is from My Vegan Cookbook, Lentil Loaf, it is only fair to give him credit. Also he has pictures !! (Hides face behind hands and blushes)

I do a Basic tomato sauce to spread on top of it before it goes in the oven.

• A tin of tomatoes or passata
• A scant dessertspoonful of coconut oil
• One finely chopped onion
• Three finely chopped cloves of garlic
• A round teaspoon of dried oregano
• Black pepper to taste
• A pinch of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
• A quarter teaspoon of rapadura/sucucant sugar alternatively you can use date syrup. It helps reduce the tartness but you can leave it out.

Cook off your onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are soft and clear. Add everything else and heat through. The loaf will be in the oven for forty minutes so the sauce will definitely be cooked by then! O and do the sauce first as you will be adding a bit to the loaf.

Next the Loaf-y Bit!

Pre-heat your oven to 190C/370F. You will also need a lightly greased loaf tin, tin foil and a bowl!

• Two cups of cooked lentils, I suggest brown or puy lentils
• A cup of ground almonds
• A cup of some sort of breadcrumbs that suit you wheat free, gluten free etc.
• A tablespoon of cornstarch / fine maize meal
• Two tablespoons of natural no salt peanut butter
• A tablespoon of your premade tomato sauce
• Nearly all recipes call for two sticks of grated celery-I do two carrots instead
• Garlic to taste but no less than three cloves
• One large or two small chopped onions
• A dessertspoon of coconut oil
• A half of a teaspoon of mustard
• Half a cup of chopped fresh parsley
• A teaspoon of dried thyme
• A quarter teaspoon of cumin
• A tiny pinch of sea salt
• A dash of tamari
• A little black pepper to taste
• A small dash of apple cyder vinegar

Sooo cook your onions and garlic with the dessertspoonful of the coconut oil until the onions are transparent. Leave to cool down for a five minutes.

In your bowl combine all the other ingredients and then add in your onions and garlic to them. Press it all together. If not sticking together you can add another spoon of tomato sauce.

Grab your loaf tin, put some of your tomato sauce on the base and side. Add in your lentil loaf mix and put the rest of the tomato sauce on top. Cook for twenty minutes and then cover with tinfoil ( to stop the top burning). Cook for another twenty-five minutes. Let it cool for a minimum of ten minutes before turning out and another ten before slicing.

Serve with your favourite veggies, salad and maybe some vegan gravy! It is very filling and is just as lovely the day after.

Once again if you celebrate the Yule, enjoy it! Hope you had a good Solstice, a good almost finished Hanukkah! Or maybe just some time with friends and or family with a few days off work! Xs Aissa