I thought I was done with messing around with the lentil loaf recipe after making the copycat Amy’s version. Apparently my taste buds were not. They wanted something new and different – an Asian flavored loaf with Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, leeks and water chestnuts. They were right, it’s now my favorite version.
Served with miso mashed potatoes and stir-fried Chinese greens. It’s sorta like a square egg foo young, but without the egg or the tofu (the usual, default replacement for the eggs). It’s lentils but I wouldn’t say it’s beany tasting. Super easy to make, it’ll put an Asian twist to your holiday meal.
And for dessert, a freshly made Sweet Aha! vegan chocolate cupcake with butterscotch buttercream from the College of San Mateo farmer’s market. Except that I ate the cupcake first because 1) it’s always best to eat dessert when it’s nice and fresh and 2) the cupcakes are so light and fluffy I couldn’t wait. This is not the first time I’ve eaten dessert before a meal, I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Asian Lentil Loaf
Makes 4-6 servings
6 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until soft, then chopped
1 medium leek, white and some of the green part, chopped
4 ounces water chestnuts, chopped
2 cups cooked and seasoned lentils
2 handfuls panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Oil to grease pan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the lentils. Add in the rest of the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
In a well-oiled 8.5 x 8.5 inch square baking pan, pour in the lentil mixture and pack into the pan, tightly pressing into the bottom. Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes until browned and pulling away from the edges. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
Serve with miso mashed potatoes, teriyaki sauce or gravy and stir-fried Chinese greens.
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YUM!!!
I love the sound of your lentil loaf with an Asian flavor profile to lift it out of the pile of ordinary lentil loaves. I think I would really like this.
That lentil loaf does sound tasty, but I must admit, that cupcake picture really does steal the show. What a looker! I would totally eat dessert first if that beauty was on the table, too.
Noelle – It was extra yum. :-)
Andrea – I think you would like it too. It’s a nice change from the usual lentil loaf flavors.
Hannah – Yup, that cupcake was a sight to behold. A brown loaf with brown sauce on top didn’t stand a chance.
Miso mashed potatoes…yes! Why have I not put miso in my potatoes before? So perfect!
That loaf sounds good!!
That looks like a perfect combination of elements. I love that you’ve put water chestnuts in – I always forget how much I enjoy their crunch in food. And shiitakes can do no wrong in my eyes!
mmm these look incredible!!
The Asian-flavored loaf sounds really delicious – i love everything you’ve mentioned: Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, leeks and water chestnuts! Not many people like water chestnuts, but I’m glad you are one of the few! We’ve been making miso mashed potatoes, too because it’s hard to find vegan butter in Argentina, so we used miso instead, which was a lifesaver!