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I’m featuring two recipes for this week’s Real Food Wednesday because I feel like they compliment each other well and they’re inexpensive – which is perfect since our topic is Real Food on a Budget.

The major portion of this meal is the Lentil Loaf – lentils are cheap even when you buy them organic! The recipe also calls for brown rice, another inexpensive staple. The soup calls for only a small amount of beef which compliments the lentils while being easy on the wallet.

Lentil Loaf

1 & 1/2 Cups lentils

Water to cover

1 Tablespoon whey

2 cups soaked and cooked brown rice

2 onions, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

Salt to taste

For topping:

1 can organic tomato paste

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons sherry

3 Tablespoons butter (melted)

salt to taste

Soak lentils in water with whey overnight.  Drain and rinse, then cover with water and bring to a boil.  Simmer until soft.  Fry chopped onions in cooking oil of your choice and mix with lentils, mashing partially as you mix.  Add rice and mix in seasonings. Press into a greased loaf pan.

Mix ingredients for sauce well and spread over lentil mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  (Recipe is adapted from the Farm’s cookbook)

Korean Beef Soup

1 1/2 quart beef stock

1/2lb beef brisket, sliced very thin (I have used other beef cuts as well)

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 cup brown rice or buckwheat noodles, broken into pieces

2 Tablespoons naturally fermented soy sauce (or tamari)

Bring stock and rice to a boil and skim.  Add brisket and soy sauce and simmer for 1 hour.  Add noodles 10 minutes before serving.  (from Nourishing Traditions – I love the soup recipes!)

The lentil loaf also freezes well so this meal can be doubled and done in two loaf pans for a quick meal another day.

For more Real Food on a budget ideas visit Cheeseslave!