Lentil and Bean ?Meatloaf?

I received a recipe request from a dear reader ‘Neha Vaswani’ for a vegetarian alternative to the classic meat loaf recipe. I had never made a loaf per se which did not involve flour or a wholegrain in a prominent role. So set about checking out various recipes. This Lentil and Bean loaf is IT. We loved it so much and it was an instant hit. This recipe is inspired from various meat loaf recipes available online. I had decided from the get go that I was going to use red lentils for this recipe. I mean its easier to cook, its hearty and I thought it would provide the required ‘body’ to the recipe. But what about Protein?. Meat has so much protein.

I thought adding beans would give that protein kick this dish needs and also help in the binding of the recipe without using eggs (for those not wanting to use eggs for this recipe). If you desire, you can also add 2 slightly beaten egg whites to this recipe.I had Pinto Beans in my pantry, hence went for it. Another protein enriching factor I went for was TVP – Textured Vegetable Protein ( or Soya chunks as available in Indian stores). Instead of using whole wheat bread crumbs which I normally do, I used whole grain and flax bread to make my bread crumbs (Omega-3 power enrichment) along with some vegetables (of course).

(...)Read the rest of Lentil and Bean “Meatloaf” at Chef In You

© DK for Chef In You, 2009. |
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Post tags: bell peppers, carrots, celery, cheddar, flaxseeds, pinto beans, red lentils, TVP