Mini BBQ Lentil Loaf ~ Crazy Ingredient Challenge

An awesome, flavourful meatless dish using lentils and molasses, that even the biggest meat lover will enjoy.

Mini BBQ Lentil Loaf

This is one of my favorite post to write up.  I love doing the Crazy Ingredient Challenge.  My favorite part is thinking outside of the box with ingredients that may or may not go together.  This month's ingredients are Lentils and Molasses.

When I first say the ingredients that our group picked.. my mind went first to baking ~~ I was thinking of making a gingerbread type of cake or loaf using mashed lentils as one of the ingredients -or I even thought of seeing if I could make some lentil flour but as you can see... I am far from that with what I came up with.

The biggest problem was that even though I did think about the ingredients when we picked them.. I let it go to the last minute before doing anything about it... So at the last minute I decided to make a meatless loaf and I am glad I did...

This recipe is adapted from Vegan Lentil Loaf by My Colombian Recipes.

It makes 2 mini loafs (Dinner for Two).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup red lentils

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/2 chopped red bell peppers

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 cup apple sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp sriracha sauce

Directions:

Wash lentil and place in sauce pan with vegetable broth.  Bring to boil and decrease to medium low and simmer for about 40 minutes until lentils are soft.  You may need to add more vegetable broth as the lentils cook.

While lentils are cooking, prepare your onions, carrots and peppers.

Heat oil in pan.  Add onions and cook until soft about 4 minutes.  Add carrots, peppers and garlic, cook another 2 -3 minutes.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When lentils are soft, mash slightly with potato masher or fork.  Add onion mixture, bread crumbs, apple sauce, chili powder, cumin and salt.  Mix together.

Spray 2 mini loaf pans with cooking spray (you could also line them with parchment paper).  Divide mixture into two and each half into loaf pan, pressing down slightly with spoon.

Make glaze by mixing ketchup, molasses,sugar, dry mustard and sriracha into a small bowl.  Spread half of the glaze evenly over each of the mini loaf.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.  Take out of oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before removing from loaf pans.

Enjoy with a salad.

Cook's Notes:  I did make my own apple sauce by cutting up 1 1/2 apples, adding 1/4 cup of water and cooking until soft.  Place in blender and puree until soft.

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