Red Lentil Spinach Bake

 

Ready to try something different? I found a recipe online, and after some fiddling, I made this today and… oh, my! It’s delicious! The “bread” is made from a blended red lentil batter. It’s light and flavorful. I honestly don’t believe anyone would guess that this recipe contains no wheat flour. Each serving has about 220 calories and 10 grams of protein. 

Red Lentil Spinach Bake

Makes 9 squares

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (180g) red lentils
• 1 12-ounce bag (340g) frozen spinach
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1/2 cup (100g) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup (200g) cottage cheese (or sour cream or plain Greek yogurt)
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tablespoon dried dill
• Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1-2 tablespoons Everything Bagel Seasoning (or sesame seeds) to garnish

Directions:

1. Cover lentils with water and soak overnight.
2. When ready to make the pie, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with parchment paper allowing the paper to overhang on 2 sides (to use as handles for removing pie from pan). Set pan aside.
3. Drain and rinse the lentils. Drain lentils well, letting them sit in the colander while spinach mixture is prepared.
4. Defrost the spinach and press out excess water using either a spatula and strainer or cheese cloth. Transfer the squeezed spinach to a mixing bowl.
5. Add onion, feta cheese, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and ground black pepper to the spinach. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Set spinach filling aside.
6. Place lentils in a blender. Add cottage cheese, eggs, 3 tablespoons olive oil, dill, pepper, salt and baking soda. Blend to a smooth batter.
7. Pour 2/3 of the lentil batter into the prepared pan, tipping it slightly to distribute batter evenly. Dollop the spinach mixture over the batter in an even layer. Top with the remaining batter, covering as much of the spinach layer as possible. Shake the pan gently to distribute evenly. Sprinkle the top with seeds or bagel seasoning.
8. Bake the pie for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately lift the pie from the pan, using the parchment paper as handles. Allow pie to cool slightly before serving.

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