Sweet Potato & Chestnut Lentil Loaf - Bakemas Day 18

You will need
1 medium-large sweet potato
1 large brown onion, chopped
1 medium parsnip, grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch of sage, chopped
1 spring rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
2 tbsp ground chia/flax seed
1 pack cooked chestnuts (180g)
1 tin lentils
2 tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 and line the bottom of a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.
Wash and chop the sweet potato into cubes, place on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until soft.
In a frying pan with a drizzle of oil add the chopped onion, grated parsnip, garlic, chopped sage and chopped rosemary. Cook until the onion has softened. Mix the ground chia/flax seed with 4 tablespoons of warm water and set aside to become gluey.
Roughly chop half the chestnuts but make sure to keep them chunky. Put the other half of the chestnuts in the food processor with half the tin of drained lentils and a third of the roasted sweet potato, blend until mashed together. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl, add in the onion mixture, chia/flax mixture and sunflower seeds, season well with salt and pepper then mix together. Set aside a few bits of sweet potato and chestnut for topping then add the rest into the mixture with the other half of the lentils and mix again a little more gently.
Once everything is mixed together, spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and press down, add the leftover chestnut and sweet potato pieces on the top and sprinkle with a few sunflower seeds.
You can cover with foil and chill the prepared lentil loaf in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
To bake the lentil loaf, preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas mark 4, keep covered with foil and cook for 50 minutes.

Serves 6-8