Make a double recipe [seen above] for a large Thanksgiving crowd. [Single Recipe will be smaller😊]

Dr John’s Celebration Loaf is substantial and filling. It has fabulous flavor! The tomato/ maple glaze is a showstopper! It is also packed with incomparable nutritional value.

Makes 6 to 7 servings (doubled will serve 12 or 14)
Prep and Cook Time: 60 min.

Loaf  Ingredients                                                                                                                                        

• 2 cups cooked green Lentils (Make from ¾ cup dry green lentils [see Note* below] 1/3rd cup water or vegetable broth for sautéing veggies + more liquid as needed.
• 1 medium diced yellow Onion 1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves of Garlic- minced)
• 2/3 cup diced Carrots
• ½ cup diced Celery 1/3 cup (+/- amount) chopped dried fruit (like cranberries, mango, papaya, or prunes)
• 8 oz rinsed and sliced & diced button Mushrooms [or Cremini Mushrooms]
• ¼ cup Tomato Paste
• 2 Tbsp lower sodium Soy Sauce [or use Tamari, or Coconut Aminos]
• 1 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce has no anchovy (fish) paste
• 1½ tsp ground Pepper 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Rosmary (or use 1 ½ tsp dry chopped Rosmary) 1 tsp Red Sumac (OPTIONAL) ½ tsp Turmeric powder 1tsp Curry Powder
• 1½ cups of Old Fashioned Oats
• ½ cup veggie broth or water (and more if needed)
• ¼ cup chopped roasted pepitas (OPTIONAL) [see Note below **]
• 1/3 cup broken Walnut pieces- or use pieces of other favorite tree nuts
• 1Tbsp Hot Pepper Sauce of your choice, or ½ tsp ground Chipotle Powder (Optional)
• Optional additional spices in loaf ingredients:
  • ½ tsp Coriander
  • ½ tsp ground Cardamom
  • 1/3 cup chopped Basil as garnish [see Note on Basil below]

Glaze Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Ketchup
• 1 ½ Tbsp Maple syrup (or Molasses)
• 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

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Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper [or use a silicone baking sheet].
2. In a small bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients and set aside.
3. Add 1/3 cup of water or vegie broth to a large preheated non-stick pan or wok on medium- high heat. Sauté diced onion and garlic over medium- high heat for about 2 to 3 min, or until tender. You may add 1 or 2 Tbsp additional water to keep onions from sticking if needed.                                                          
4. Add in the carrots and celery and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on medium- high heat stirring periodically. Again, you may add a little water, if needed.
5. Add in the diced mushrooms and sauté until all the vegetables are getting. (about 5-6 min.), The mixture should be moist but not runny. If needed, you may always add 1 or 2 Tbsp of water any time during sautéing your veggies if needed.
6. Add ½ cup of water or veggie broth, half of the oats, the tomato paste, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, pepper, Turmeric, Curry Powder, chopped rosemary, and any optional seasonings. Mix well.
7. Add the lentils now, mix and cook all for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Mix in the remaining oats. You may add a little liquid if needed to achieve a lightly moist but firm texture. Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. If the mixture is not firm enough to shape into a loaf you may add ¼ cup more dry oats to mix in. Remove from heat; and allow to cool for a few minutes so that you will be able work the ingredients with your hands. 
9. Pour all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add in the walnuts nuts and pepitas and mix together using bare or gloved hands. If the mixture is crumbly, add 1 or 2 Tbsp water at a time to achieve a moist   but firm mixture that can be shaped into a loaf.
10. Place the loaf mix in the center of your large parchment covered baking sheet or large casserole dish; and form it into a loaf shape (about 8-10 inches long and 5 to 7 inches wide). Cover the loaf with half of the glaze, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove loaf from of the oven and apply more of the glaze; then bake the loaf for an additional 10-15 minutes or lnger until a poked fork comes out clean. Note: If you make a double recipe add at least 20 minutes to baking time. Let the loaf cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing so that it will cut smoothly.

Serve loaf slices sprinkled with a little chopped basil or cilantro on top if you like.

Plating Ideas:

• Serve with your favorite green veggie salad or sauteed combination of red, green, and purple vegetables.
• You might consider whole grain pasta [like whole wheat, chickpea, bean, or edamame noodles] as a loaf accompaniment.
• Leftover loaf makes wonderful sandwiches.

Storing the loaf: 7 days in refrigerator, or up to 3 months in freezer.

Cooking Tips:

*Note: Cooking Lentils- It’s Easy!

Making 2 cups of cooked lentils: Put ¾ cup dry Lentils in a small pot. Add 2 ¼  cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until Lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. Discard excess water. Optional additions to the warter water: a. 1 tsp low sodium Soy Sauce, b. Seeds from 3 or 4 Cardamom Seed Pods- they impart a wonderful flavor. Alternatively use only 2cups water and pressure cook for 9 minutes. Dr John

** Note: Roasting Roasted Pepitas:

Place green pepitas into a small pre heated cooking pan or pot over medium-high heat. Stirring often you will hear an occasional popping sound, the pepitas will begin to turn a little brown, and you will smell a nice aroma. This will all take only 2 to 4 minutes. Stir often and watch carefully. Do not burn or blacken the pepitas. When they are lightly brown, immediately pour the pepitas into a cool container and set aside. They will burn if left in your pan.

*** Note on Basil and Rosmary:

It’s expensive to buy fresh Rosmary or Basil; so, next spring plant some in a small patch in your garden. A 5’x 5’ personal garden spot or planter area is big enough😊. Asian markets like our 88 Ranch Market in Temecula, CA (Asian Market), always carries large quantities of Asian basil for considerably less than at our other markets.

Taken from the oven

then placed on the stove top.