Mediterranean Green Lentil Loaf

Ingredients

• 450 ml cold water
• 200 g dried green lentils, washed and drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-cm strip of kombu seaweed
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 handfuls of chard, spinach or young kale
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 90 g chopped onion
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground dried rosemary or dried herbes de Provence
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 30 g almond flour or 30 g fine breadcrumbs, plus extra for sprinkling
• crushed black pepper
• 12-cm x 15-cm loaf pan, well oiled

Method

In a large saucepan, pour the water over the lentils, add the bay leaves and kombu and put on a high heat to boil, uncovered. When the water boils, add 110 ml cold water, then reduce the heat to medium, half-cover and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

Add another 110 ml cold water, cover the pan fully and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add a final 110 ml cold water, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. The lentils should by now be soft and a little sticky, with no uncooked parts. Add the salt, then take out the bay leaves and kombu, chop up the kombu into small pieces and stir it into the lentils. Blanch the greens in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then drain and chop them.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat and then add garlic, onion, the dried herbs and pepper, to taste. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the blanched greens, cooked lentils, mustard and lemon juice. Mix everything together and then add the flour or breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 6.

Add the lentil mix to the oiled loaf pan, making the loaf as high and long as you want. It doesn’t have to fill the entire pan.

Oil the top with the help of a silicone brush, sprinkle with a little almond flour or a few breadcrumbs and bake for about 30 minutes or until a nice crispy crust forms and the top surface turns golden brown.

Let it cool for 20 minutes, then take a big plate and cover the pan with it. With a quick movement, flip the loaf onto the plate. It should retain the shape of the pan. Carefully slice the loaf into thick slices and serve. You can also spoon the mixture out of the pan and serve it like that, if you prefer.

Serve slices of this loaf with a simple onion gravy, mashed potatoes and a big bowl of garden salad.