Italian lentil loaf
2 cups lentils
1 bay leaf
1 cup fine bulgur wheat
1 egg
1 T tomato paste
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1T extra virgin olive oil
4 oz rapini, blanched and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t ground fennel seed
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes, ground
1 t salt
1 t Hungarian paprika
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Ketchup or tomato sauce
1) Prepare the lentils by washing them. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a saucepan, add the lentils and bay leaf, return to a boil and cover. Simmer on lowest setting for about 45 minutes. When tender, drain and reserve both the lentils and the cooking liquid to cool. Discard the bay leaf.
2) Prepare the bulgur. Boil two cups of liquid made from the reserved lentil broth in a saucepan, add the bulgur, stir, cover and turn off the heat and let bulgur cook 15 minutes. Then uncover to cool.
3) Whisk an egg in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the tomato paste, onion, olive oil, rapini, garlic, black pepper, fennel, red pepper, salt and paprika.
4) Using a large silicone spatula, stir in the cheese, bulgur and lentils, finishing with the bread crumbs.
5) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6) Grease two glass bread pans with Crisco.
7) Press the lentil mixture into the bread pans and bake about 40 minutes. The loaves are done when a toothpick comes out clean.
8) At this point paint the loaves with some tomato sauce or ketchup and bake 5 minutes more.
9) Let the loaves cool on the stove top until cool to the touch. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for serving the next day with more ketchup or tomato sauce and a side salad. The loaves slice evenly and cleanly and servings can be easily reheated in the microwave on a plate and kept warm in the oven as you prepare the salad.
Serves at least six.
