Loaf:
• 1 cup dry green lentils (193 g)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 heaping cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 packed Tbs minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 cup water (for cooking the veggies in)
• 1/2 cup medium grind coarse cornmeal
• 3 Tbs ground flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili spice (for less spicy)
• 1/2 cup corn (can or frozen, drain water)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce (see below)
My 5-minute homemade barbecue sauce (Makes 1 1/2 cups, plenty for the loaf and for dipping!)
• 1/2 cup tomato paste (not sauce)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp each of garlic powder, chili powder, yellow wet mustard, maple syrup
• 2 Tbs + 2 tsp each of dark balsamic vinegar and unsulphured molasses
Instructions:
1. If you are making my homemade barbecue sauce, start by putting the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thickened. Set aside or store in the fridge the night before making the loaf.
2. For the lentils, rinse and add them to two cups water and to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, turn to simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes. The water should be mostly evaporated. Turn off the heat and return the lid and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. While the lentils are cooking, cook the onions and garlic. Add the onion, garlic, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a small frying pan. Bring to a boil and once boiling, immediately turn to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the water has completely evaporated. You don’t want any remaining water so the loaf doesn’t turn mushy. Turn off the heat and let sit.
4. After the lentils have finished and have been sitting for 10 minutes, puree about 1/2 of the mixture with a hand immersion blender. Do not puree all of it, or it will make the loaf mushy. Just eyeball about half of it, leaving the other half full lentils. Add to a large bowl.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 190 C degrees and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper (hanging slightly over the sides for easy removal later). If any portion of the loaf will touch the pan, even with the paper, make sure you put a little coconut oil on those spots so it doesn’t stick.
6. Add the cooked onion/garlic mixture to the lentils. Add only 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce to the lentil mixture. Add the chipotle spice and another good pinch of salt and stir together well. Add the cornmeal and flaxseed and stir around for a good minute or so until it becomes really thick and sticky. Lastly, gently stir in the corn. Note: If you taste the batter, it doesn’t taste overly spicy uncooked, but it will become a lot spicier as the chipotle spice bakes, so keep that in mind.
7. Pour the batter in the loaf pan and spread out evenly. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before baking, so the cornmeal soaks up some liquid. Spread 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce all over the top evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until firm and a toothpick basically comes out clean. I baked mine for a full 60 minutes to ensure it was done. The ends got slightly charred just where the barbecue sauce was, but the inside was perfect. You definitely want to make sure the loaf is cooked through, so it’s firm and not mushy. If yours turns out mushy, then you didn’t let it cook long enough, because the result should be firm and have a nice bite to it.
8. It is crucial to let the loaf sit for at least 20 minutes to firm up. It will firm up a lot while cooling. If you try to cut it hot, it will fall apart. I let mine sit 30 minutes and it was still warm. Gently lift up the loaf with the parchment paper and very carefully transport it to a serving platter using spatulas. Carefully slice it. Spread extra barbecue sauce on top while still warm right before serving. Add chopped fresh parsley on top for garnish and presentation, if desired.