Delicious Lentil and Walnut Loaf x

I've been wondering what to have for Christmas dinner. I don't want to eat too much flour and gluten, which is normal pretty predominant in fake meats. I want something nutritious and delicious with a mouthful of punch. This is it.
I remembered going to my brothers restaurant where he made me a pizza that was topped with walnuts. It gave the pizza and almost creamy feel. Walnuts are a great addition to savoury dishes. Walnuts and scouring the backyard for a bay leaves and rosemary. This dish is sorted.

Serves: About 10.
Time: 15 Minutes prep, 1 hour and 45 minutes total cooking time. 


Ingredients:

• 1 and a half cups of brown lentils.
• Half a cup of yellow split peas.
• One bay leaf.
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1 diced onion.
• One stick of celery, diced.
• One carrot, diced.
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Quarter of a cup of tomato paste plus 2 Tablespoons.
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped rosemary.
• 1 teaspoon chopped sage.
• 2 teaspoons of chopped dry basil.
• A few shakes of pepper.
• A good pinch of salt.

Method:

Place the lentils and the split peas in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain. Keep the bay leaf.

While that is happening, you have time to prep the other ingredients. 

Then, heat the olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrot and sauté for about 3 minutes. 

Add the walnuts, tomato paste and  herbs and mix together for a further 2 minutes. 

Mix in the drained lentils and split peas. Add the salt and pepper. Taste it. Does it need more salt and pepper? Add to taste.

Pull out a loaf tin and grease well with olive oil. This will allow the loaf to slip out easily.

Stuff the mixture into the loaf tin. Once its all in, spread with the 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. Place the bay leaf on top. It should look like the picture above. 

Bake at 180C or 360F for 1 hour. 

Place a dish over the top of the loaf tin. Being very careful because it's quite hot, turn the loaf tin with the dish attached so that the dish is now on the bottom. The loaf should slide right out. 

Serve with mash potato.