This glazed vegan loaf is made with lentils, walnuts, vegetables, oats, polenta and chia seeds, which altogether combine to create a savoury and flavourful loaf for those times when you just need some good old-fashioned comfort food.
Preheat oven to 190C (375F) fanbake, and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Heat olive oil in a frypan (skillet). Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften.
Add carrot, red capsicum, thyme, cumin and cayenne. Cook over a low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until softened and excess moisture has cooked off.
Put drained lentils, carrot mixture, walnuts, oats and tomatoes into a food processor. Pulse to combine. You want it well mixed but with some remaining texture. Scrape mixture into a bowl, stir through polenta and chia seeds, then season to taste.
Tip mixture into your lined loaf tin and smooth evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes.
While the loaf is cooking, prepare the glaze. Put all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until reduced a little, and thick and glossy.
When the 30 minutes is up, pour the glaze over the loaf, smooth it out evenly, then return the loaf to the oven for a further 30 minutes (for a total cooking time of one hour).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before lifting out of the tin and slicing.
Serve with mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and a spoonful of your favourite chutney or relish.