One loaf, three ways.

The mess of a dish pictured above was actually very tasty! A vegan, sugar- and gluten-free take on spaghetti and meatballs, this is Dish #2 in a series of three based on a variation of this lentil loaf recipe from a new blog inspiration, SmarterFitter. My alterations:

-Used 1 1/2 cups cooked rice-and-bean pilaf and 1/2 cup split peas
-Omitted celery and used a whole cup of onions
-Replaced soy sauce with Bragg's Liquid Aminos
-Omitted caraway seeds

First, formed burger-like patties out of the stuff and fried 'em up in coconut oil. Ate with mustard and a side of garlicky kale. Tasted great, but didn't fill me up for very long. The next day, shaped it into little meatball-like spheres and again fried in coconut oil until browned. With quinoa spaghetti noodles, homemade tomato sauce and kale, these suckers added worlds of flavor to a very filling dinner.

Today, I think I'm going to finish this batch of lentil-y, fennel-y yum by actually following the original directions and smothering the baked loaf with cashew gravy. This was a great time-saver! After the initial prep, it's been available for use in whatever I dream up. I might use less celery and fennel seeds next time, in favor of some dried basil and parsley.

My momma and step-papa visited this weekend, which means the past couple days were an all-out culinary tour of Gainesville - not too much home-cookin' going on! But wow, do I love the food in this town. The Jones for a premium local lunch was my personal high point.

I'm on my eighth day of the no-sugar cleanse and feeling pretty strong. I hope to find time this week to experiment with Stevia-sweetened treats. I will, of course, report back.