Red Lentil Chickpea Loaf

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 cans, drained and rinsed)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
• 3 sticks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup dry red lentils
• 1 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) ( )
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste and based on the saltiness of your bread crumbs and chickpeas)
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup ketchup (for topping)

Simple Vegan Mushroom Gravy

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (baby bella, button, or portobello)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose or superfine brown rice flour
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2-3 teaspoons tamari (adjust to taste)

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly spray a standard sized loaf pan with oil. Place the walnuts on a lined baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes. Remove the walnuts from the oven and chop them finely.

2. Place the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or a big fork to mash them up. They should all be broken down, but it's fine to see some flattened whole chickpeas and halves: texture is good!

3. Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a deep skillet or medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender and the onion is clear. Add the red lentils, water or broth, thyme, and rosemary. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils are completely tender. Give the mixture a good stir to break them down and make them mushy.

4. Add the lentil mixture to the chickpeas, along with the finely chopped walnuts and breadcrumbs. Mix everything well, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pack the mixture into your prepared loaf pan, then smooth over the top with a spatula. Brush the 1/4 cup ketchup over the top.

5. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the top is browning.

6. While the loaf bakes, prepare the gravy. Heat the remaining teaspoon oil in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and shrunken down and have released all of their juices. Add the broth and tamari to the pot and stir.

7. Place the flour and nutritional yeast in a small, heatproof bowl. Use a ladle to remove 3/4 cup broth from the pot (avoid getting any mushrooms in there) and add the hot liquid to the bowl with the flour and nutritional yeast. Whisk it all together to create a smooth slurry, then return all of it to the pot. Continue to heat and stir the gravy until it's thickened up, about 2 minutes. Serve over your loaf and enjoy!

Leftover loaf and gravy will each keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The loaf can be frozen for up to 4 weeks.