April 1, 2022
This fabulous Fig Nut loaf is dairy-Free & Meat-Free and so it make a great plant-based alternative roasts. It's both vegan and vegetarian friendly.
1 cup French Puy lentils, rinsed, picked over to remove debris
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 small white onion, finely chopped
4 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small red capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
6 dried figs, trimmed, very finely chopped
4 tbsp mixed fresh herbs- rosemary, thyme, sage, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chilli flakes *optional
6 eggs, lightly beaten or to make vegan 1.25 – 1.5 cups silken tofu (enough to bind)
300 g dry roasted, unsalted mixed nuts, roughly chopped
2 cup spinach, washed and patted dry
Serving Suggestion
1Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease and line a 23.5 x 13.5 x 7cm loaf tin with baking paper.
2Place Puy lentils in a large saucepan, cover with 3 cups vegetable stock or water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until al dente, about 15-20 minutes. Do not overcook or the lentils will be mushy and the loaf will not set. (Puy lentils are firmer when cooked than dahl lentils). Remove from heat, drain, pat dry and set aside to cool.
3Meanwhile, heat a large frypan with Nuttelex, add onion, garlic and carrots and sauté for about 10-12 minutes until translucent. Add red capsicum, mushrooms and dried figs, sauté a further 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and cook a further 2 minutes.
4Season with smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, fresh herbs, chilli flakes, if using, salt and cracked black pepper. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
5When the mix has cooled, transfer all ingredients to a food processor, gently pulse in beaten eggs or tofu), cooked lentils, chopped nuts and orange juice and zest. Pulse well to combine, then add the spinach, pulsing quickly to just combine. Do not over-process.
6Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf tin, firmly packing the mix into the corners and centre to ensure your loaf will slice without crumbling too much.
7Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with melted Nuttelex, return to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean.
8Allow to rest in the tin for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack so it has time to firm and set completely. Carefully lift the loaf from the tin, discard baking paper, place on to a serving platter and decorate with our serving suggestion. Alternately slice and serve, or reheat as required.
To Serve
1Heat Nuttelex in a large griddle pan. Add zucchini ribbons along the griddle pan ridges to create heat stripes, transfer to serving platter, then add tomatoes and fresh figs to the pan, sautéing gently to heat through
2Decorate the nut loaf with sautéed tomatoes and figs and top with assorted leaves to garnish