Lentil Bake
3/4 cup brown lentils
1/2 dessertspoon promite
Black pepper
1 medium carrot
5cm piece zucchini
1 small cooking or eating apple
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
2 dessertspoons tahini
Soy sauce
Stuffing mix or Seasoned breadcrumbs
1. Soak brown lentils in water for about 1-2 hours (this is not necessary but does reduce the cooking time). Drain, rinse and put into a medium saucepan, cover well with water and bring to the boil. When boiling, dissolve the promite and season with black pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes – they need to be very tender. Drain and reserve stock. Mash lentils in a bowl, it doesn’t matter if they are not all completely mashed leaving some whole adds to the texture.
2. Grate carrot, zucchini and apple into the mixture and mix well. Add thyme, paprika and tahini again mixing well. Add a little soy sauce and enough of the stock to make a soft but not wet mixture and enough of the stuffing mix or breadcrumbs so that the mixture holds together but is not dry. It should leave the sides of the bowl and feel a little moist. Brush oil onto a 40cm long piece of foil, making sure to oil to all the edges, then turn out the mixture.
3. Press into a shape about 30cm long and 8-10cm wide (oblong or terrine shaped). Then fold the sides of the foil over tuck the ends in and gently slide onto a baking tray. Bake in a 160c oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2hours. Take out just before serving and very carefully peel the foil back, the result should be a browned, lightly crusted coating.
This will also cook in a loaf tin approx. 13cm x 26cm, line tin with foil and brush with oil, make sure to cover with foil, this cooks in the same time. However you will not get a crusty coating.