Meatless Monday - Mushroom Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Glaze

Welcome to the 39th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy

I have been reading the Virgin Diet book by JJ Virgin. In this book, she relays how there are certain "healthy" foods that trigger several physical symptoms such as fatigue and joint discomfort, among others things, that also cause us to gain weight or not be able to lose weight. She recommends cutting out 7 healthy foods that tend to lead to food sensitivities for most folks. She recommends detoxing for 21 days to allow our bodies to heal, then slowly reintroduce these foods back into our diets, one at a time to see if our bodies react negatively to them. Then, of course, if we do, we should cut these out of our diets completely. I definitely have been holding onto weight for a few years now and even though I eat meatless (not just on Monday's either!), I still can't seem to shake the weight.  

Anyway, you can read about my 21 day detox journey here where I share more, but I am thrilled that for once a diet plan actually considers that there just might be people who want to try a diet that are vegetarians. JJ Virgin actually has menu plans for vegetarians, not just meat eaters! Thank you JJ!

Below are the meatless recipes I tried out tonight. A lentil loaf with home made, and very tasty, BBQ sauce.

*Mushroom Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Glaze

Serves 4

3 TB chia seeds

1/3 cup water

2 cups organic dry, sprouted green lentils (such as TruRoots)

[Note: I did not have sprouted lentils, but used black lentils]

2 TB olive oil

8 oz cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp ground coriander

3/4 cup gluten-free oats

2 tsp coconut aminos (replaces soy sauce)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup All-Purpose Finger-Lickin-Good Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 3 inch overhang on each side.

Combine the chia seeds with the water in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the lentils according to the package directions for a tender texture. (you should end up with about 4 cups)

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme and coriander and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place 3 cups of the lentils in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add the pureed lentils, and the remaining whole lentils to the bowl containing the mushroom mixture. Stir in the oats, chia seed mixture, coconut aminos, salt and pepper; mix well.  Firmly press the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Spread the top with the barbecue sauce.

Bake until the loaf is firm and browned around the edges, 48-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then lift the loaf out of the pan, using the foil overhang as handles, and transfer it to a cutting board.  Cool for an additional 20 minutes. Slice the loaf with a serrated knife and serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired.

*All-Purpose Finger-Lickin'-Good Barbecue Sauce

Makes 3 cups

1 (28 oz) can organic crushed tomatoes and it's juices

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3 TB chili powder

2 TB smoked paprika

2 TB monk fruit extract (replaces sugar)

2 tsp coconut aminos (replaces soy sauce)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp allspice

3/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients, except salt and pepper, in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, 20-22 minutes. Remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper. 

*Recipes from The Virgin Diet Cookbook