Heat the oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker and sauté the onion, celery and chiles for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and cover them with 1 1/2 cups water. Close the pressure cooker and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and dry. If you don't have a pressure cooker, boil the lentils in the water, covered, over low heat until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the parsley, pecans, breadcrumbs, soy sauce and salt, and mix well, forming a heavy dough.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a 5 x 9 inch (13 x 23 cm) bread pan with aluminium foil, and grease it with margarine. Fill the pan with the lentil mixture and cover with a piece of aluminium foil to seal in the moisture. Bake for 45 minutes.

While the lentil loaf is in the oven, prepare the tomato sauce by heating the oil in a 2 quart / 2 L saucepan, and sautéing the onion for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally. Add the water, bay leaf, salt and black pepper cover and allow to cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the loaf is done baking, remove from the oven and allow to stand 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Decorate with pecan halves and serve sliced, covered with hot tomato sauce.

'A Taste Of Mexico' by Kippy Nigh.