FIG BALSAMIC HOLIDAY LOAF
This loaf is a game changer! My office manager said it is one of the best recipes I have ever made and my entire staff gave it a double thumbs up. Even my omnivore husband who usually hates leftovers loved it day one and wanted leftovers day 2!
Here is the original recipe from Healthy Everyday Homecooking which was slightly modified.
This delicious loaf is loaded with fiber. Did you know that less than 3% of Americans get the recommended minimum amount of fiber in their diet? Fiber is only found in plant foods. Animal products have zero fiber. Fiber holds up plants whereas animals have bones. Read this Harvard Medical School blog article about the benefits of fiber: Should I be eating more fiber?
Fig Balsamic Holiday Loaf
Ingredients
3/4 cup Turkish figs (approximately 6 Turkish figs or substitute 10-12 mission figs or 9 Smyrna figs)
1/2 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
3/4th cup chopped sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dried green lentils
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (I used Orrington Farms Vegan Beef Flavored Broth Base so did not add extra salt.)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste (I did not add any extra)
1 cup raw walnuts
6 tablespoons aged dark balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup (I used unsweetened ketchup)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
2 cups quick oats
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Add figs to a bowl and cover with hot tap water. Set aside to soak, at least 10 minutes.
Heat a stock pot to medium-high heat and dry saute the celery and onion. Stir constantly, adding a splash of water when the vegetables tend to stick. Cook until softened.
Turn heat to low and add garlic, pepper (and salt if using), stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
Add lentils and vegetable broth and stir to incorporate all ingredients together. Bring to a rapid simmer (a little less than a boil) and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are soft and all of the water is absorbed.
While lentils are cooking, add walnuts to a baking sheet and roast for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Also, while lentils are cooking, drain figs and pull off any stems.
Add to a blender figs, balsamic, ketchup, mustard and tamari. Blend until as smooth as possible--it’s ok if there are some little fig pieces. Set aside.
Finely chop cooled walnuts in a food processor.
Add oats, sweet potato, walnuts, and 6 tablespoons of the balsamic/fig glaze to a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
When lentils are finished cooking, add to the oat/potato/walnut mixing bowl and mix well using your hands.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Add the lentil mixture to the lined loaf pan. Press to pack it into the pan, smoothing out the surface.
Bake for 30 minutes, then spread a layer of fig/balsamic glaze on top and bake another 15 minutes. Save remaining glaze to serve with the loaf.
Cool 30 minutes in the pan then remove and cool another 20 minutes before slicing.
