Lentil Croquettes

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 1 cup breadcrumbs crisp fine
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon basil dried
• 0.5 teaspoon sage dried crumbled
• 0.5 teaspoon thyme dried
• 1 large eggs 
• 3 cloves garlic peeled quartered
• 0.3 teaspoon hot sauce 
• 1.3 cups lentils 
• 0.5 cup rolled wheat flakes crushed
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (see tip, below)
• 0.5 cup oatmeal uncooked
• 1.5 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• 4 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 4 servings pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 3.8 cups water filtered

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• pot
• broiler
• spatula

Directions

1. Combine the lentils, water, and bay leaves in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook, half-covered, until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool, then drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
2. When ready to complete the croquette batter, combine the lentils with all the other batter ingredients in a food processor. Buzz until the garlic is pureed and a soft, somewhat goopy paste is formed.
3. Let the batter rest, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.
4. Combine the breadcrumbs and cornflake crumbs in a bowl. In a second bowl, make a seasoned flour by combining the flour, nutritional yeast, paprika, sage, salt and black pepper, thyme, and olive oil and tossing together well. In a third bowl, beat the egg, if using, with a tablespoon of water.
5. Place the bowl of croquette mixture next to all this, along with a nonstick baking sheet or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
6. Using 2 large spoons, form a slightly flattened fat oval 3 to 4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Drop it into the seasoned flour.
7. Sprinkle the top of the oval of batter with more flour and lift it out of the flour with your fingers. Dip the batter oval into the egg, which will coat it, though it will resist in spots. Drop the egg-coated ball into the crumbs, and, with your fingers, roll it around. When coated with this second jacket of crumbs, place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
8. Spray the crumbed croquettes very lightly with olive oil (if you have some in a spray bottle) or cooking spray.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turn very gently using a thin-bladed spatula, and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes. The crumb coating should be crisping up nicely; if it's not, run the croquettes under the broiler for a few moments.
10. Serve hot, as soon as possible, with a sauce such as Mushroom-Miso-Mustard Gravy. Leftovers can be served in buns, with all the fixings.
11. • Nutritional yeast is a savory molasses-fed yeast that's rich in B-complex vitamins and protein. It is widely available in bulk at natural food stores.
12. Reprinted with permission from Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon ©2002Workman Publishing Company, Inc.