Meatless Muffins with Butternut Squash Puree

By LVDiva

Ingredients

• Gluten & Soy Free
• makes 9 “cupcakes”
• “Meatloaf”
• 1 cup brown lentils, dry
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup red onions, diced
• 1/3 cup green pepper, diced
• 1 (6) ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp chick pea flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• Butternut Squash Puree
• 1 small butternut squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the squash lengthwise. Remove seeds, brush with olive oil and place face-down on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile rinse the lentils. In a medium pot combine lentils with vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking until lentils are soft (about 45 minutes). Add Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Remove from heat and set aside.

Reduce oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray or oil a muffin tin and set aside.

In a small pan heat up vegetable oil. Saute onions and peppers over medium high heat for 5 minutes, until cooked. Stir together onion mixture, lentils, and tomato paste. In a food processor blend together walnuts and chick pea flour until combined. Add the lentil mixture and mix until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop lentil/walnut mixture into muffin tins, filling to the top. Bake for 20-23 minutes until edges brown and begin pulling away from the edge. It’s okay if it’s still a little underdone on the inside, it will harden as it sets.

Let cool in muffin tins at least 20 minutes. When ready to serve, release by running a knife around the edge.

To make the butternut squash puree, remove cooked squash from peel and place in a food processor. Add sage, garlic, salt and pepper and mix. With motor running add non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time just until squash is smooth and creamy. With a piping bag, “frost” the slightly cooled “cupcakes”.

*If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use an ice cream scoop to scoop the puree atop the cupcakes.

Serve immediately.