I tried this Lentil & Nut Loaf tonight. What a little gem! Cheap, super nourishing and needing no super cookery whizzery skills to make. I found it on Pat Parkers Facebook group, posted by Emily Brown. Thanks for a great recipe.

Lentil & Nut Loaf

Priced at Asda January 2018 using mySupermarket

100g red lentils, 500g/75p, 15p
600 ml water
Stock cube, pack of 10, 4p
A carrot, about 120g, 50p/kg, 6p
A large onion, 200g, 3 for 57p, 6p
80g crunchy peanut butter, 65p/340g, 15p
85g stuffing mix, 19p

Serves at least 4

Total cost £1.09, 27p each (4)
Total nutrition 893 calories, 79g carbs, 43g fat, 35g protein
Each serving (4) 223 calories, 20g carbs, 11g fat, 9g protein

Put the lentils, stock cube and water in a saucepan and simmer the lentils for about 12 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN. Add the peanut butter and stuffing and mix it all very well.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and carrot and fry them gently until very soft.

Now combine the cooked vegetables with the cooked lentils and add half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Check the seasoning, but it should be alright.

Pile it all into a loaf tin and bake at 180c for a good half an hour. Enjoy hot or cold, either is good. We had ours with sweet potato chips and coleslaw.

Verdict

I loved this. It’s simple, delicious and versatile. I’ve had a slice on toast for breakfast, and in a sandwich for lunch too. This vegan nut loaf has become a family favourite. A lentil nut loaf slice is wonderful in packed lunches. It can be made in advance as it freezes very well. Leave it to go cold and layer it with pieces of cereal packet inner and it’s ready to grab and go.

Variations

The obvious things to flex in a lentil loaf are the vegetables. Add more of them; roast a general mix of root vegetables before mixing them in; use fennel and celery: swede and parsnip: make it all mushroom, ordinary or a mixture. Or shred some greens – kale, savoy, Brussels or spring greens: use spring onions from the garden; beetroot and fennel. If you have fridge gravel to use up, or some cauliflower stalks, process them to a rubble and use those in this – perfect. Whatever you fancy using or have in.

Stuffing mix is just seasoned dried breadcrumbs with some herbs, so easy to swap for breadcrumbs and use some herbs, or not. You could use gluten free bread if you need to avoid gluten.

Swap the red lentils for brown, green or puy lentils, or chick peas, mash them a little if you like. Add some oats, or other cereals, in place of some of the stuffing.

For the stock cube, swap it out for home made chicken or vegetable stock, swap it for Marmite, miso, Bovril or an Oxo cube. Or just use the salt and pepper.

Add some sweet chilli sauce, chilli jam or straight chilli. Use curry powder, pastes or individual spices.

Make a spicy tomato sauce to pour over. Or serve with bottled tomato or brown sauce. Use any chutney on the side. Mix brinjal pickle with mayonnaise or yogurt and serve with a blob on the nut loaf. Lovely stuff!

I haven’t tried this myself, but the cold loaf is lovely used as a paté with or without cream cheese (not vegan then, obviously)