BBQ Lentil Loaf Muffins

BBQ Lentil Loaf Muffins

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup greenish/brown lentils* – (you can use the already cooked ones from Trader Joe’s - see below for amount)
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds mixed with 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1 cup tomato sauce – no salt added
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Benson’s Table Tasty Salt Substitute or other no salt seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce – no sugar or salt added – *see recipe below
• 2 tablespoons ketchup – no sugar or salt added – There is a recipe for salt free ketchup on Straight Up Food Blog. (I didn't mix with ketchup...just used the BBQ sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the ground flaxseeds with 1/4 cup water and set aside. The ground flax seeds will absorb the water and become gelatinous and they act as a binder for the loaf.

Rinse and drain the lentils. In a medium size sauce pan bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the lentils, turn the heat down and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the water is absorbed. The cooking time will vary depending on what type of lentil you use so check them at the 25 minute mark and keep an eye on them. Drain off any remaining liquid.

While the lentils are cooking – add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth to a skillet along with the diced onion, saute for about 5 minutes, add minced garlic and saute another minute or two adding more water or broth if needed to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan. Turn off the heat, add the flax mixture, tomato sauce, seasonings, oats and lentils. Mix well – taste it and adjust seasonings if needed. Remember that a lot of the flavor is coming from the topping.

Prepare a non stick muffin pan by spraying it liberally with non stick spray or use a silicone muffin pan. Fill ten of the muffin cups with lentil loaf mixture – pressing it down gently in the cup so it will stick together.

Mix together the BBQ sauce and ketchup and spread it evenly over the top of each lentil muffin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Use a plastic or bamboo knife and gently slide it around the edges of each lentil muffin to loosen them from the pan.

* If you want to use precooked lentils like the ones from the refrigeration section at Trader Joe’s you will need about 2 1/4 cups.
Tami’s Notes: Next time add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard to the loaf mixture, double the recipe for extras to freeze.
Yield: 10 lentil loaf  loaf muffins
Serving Size: 1 lentil muffin
Nutritional Information 
Per Serving; 132.7 Calories, 1.1 g Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 81.1 mg Sodium, 24.5 gCarbohydrates, 7.6 g Fiber 6.6 g Protein
BBQ Lentil Loaf Muffins Recipe adapted from a Lentil Loaf from In Sonnets Kitchen

BBQ Sauce

Recipe by Shayda Soleymani

1 six-ounce can of tomato paste
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup date paste (page 65 in Unprocessed) (I didn't make date paste but just used about 5 dates...will work if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp stone ground mustard (salt-free)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chilpolte power
1/2 tsp “smoked” papraika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
A little liquid smoke (optional)
Preperation
Blend everything in a high-speed blender.
Recipe shared with Shayda’s permission.

Original recipe from:  http://nutmegnotebook.com/2013/12/bbq-lentil-loaf-muffins/