vegetable casserole

A warming supper for cold winter days.

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 medium potatoes
1 tablespoon oil
small cup lentils - any sort, soaked for a few hours beforehand
2 medium carrots
2 sticks celery
1 medium onion
 5 or 6 mushrooms
1 pint (500ml) water
1 vegetable stock cube
few squirts soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried herbs, or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped
(optional) small portion of any other frozen or chopped fresh vegetables as liked
black pepper


Cook the lentils until almost tender - about half an hour for green or brown ones, less for red ones.
Wash and chop the fresh vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chopped onion, potatoes, celery and  carrots, plus any other fresh vegetables. Cook gently, stirring often so it doesn't stick.
Add the water, then the lentils and mushrooms and frozen vegetables, if using, and bring to the boil. Add dried herbs.
Simmer for at least 15 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender. Add crumbled stock cube towards end of cooking time. Stir well.
At end of cooking time, add soy sauce and any fresh herbs. Check seasoning and add pepper if required.

lentil and carrot soup

It helps if you've got a blender; otherwise, chop the onions very small and either slice the carrots thinly, or grate them.

Ingredients (for 4 - 6 people)

4 large carrots
2 medium onions
about 1 tablespoon oil
 a cupful of red lentils (about 5 ounces or 150g)
at least 1 pint  or 250ml water
2 teaspoons dried ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the onions (see note above) and fry them gently in the oil in a large pan.
Add the coriander.
After a few minutes peel and chop the carrots (see above) and add these to the pan.
Rinse the lentils in a fine seive, then add them to the pan with the water and bring to the boil.
Simmer for about 20 minutes until lentils are soft, stirring occasionally to make sure the soup doesn't stick to the bottom: may have to add more water.
Add crumbled stock cube and stir until dissolved.
Cool slightly, then blend in a blender for a few seconds, so that some texture is still present and not completely smooth.
Check water content, season with pepper and salt if required and reheat to serve.

Variations: other spices and/or herbs may be added.

lentil and potato bake

Uses mainly storecupboard ingredients. Good for a healthy, warming family dinner/supper.

For 4 people:

 - 4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise
 - about 200g/4oz lentils (any sort, but the small brown ones work best) preferably soaked beforehand
 - 1 large onion
 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
 - couple of carrots, sticks of celery, or any other odd vegetables you've got
 - handful grated cheese
 - 1 teaspoon dried herbs, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ones if you can get them (chives, thyme, sage, rosemary etc.)
 - 1 vegetable stock cube
 - squirt of tomato puree OR ketchup OR half a small tin chopped tomatoes
 - salt and pepper

Method

First  rinse and then cook the lentils until soft in enough water to cover, keeping an eye on them so they don't stick. This will take less time if you soak them beforehand.
Steam the potatoes; this can be done over the lentils if you have a colander and watch over it to make sure they don't boil over!
Chop, then fry the onion gently until fairly soft, then add other chopped vegetables and cook for a few minutes.
Heat up oven to gas mark 6.
Add the lentils, with cooking water, tomato puree etc, dried herbs (if using) and crumbled stock cube. Cook gently until vegetables are tender, adding more water if the mixture threatens to stick to the pan. Season to taste.Add fresh herbs now (if using).
Place lentil mixutre in a deep ovenproof dish; arrange potatoes on top, drizzle with oil and top with grated cheese. Alternatively, mash the potatoes before putting them on top, for a shepherd's pie effect.
Cook in oven until potatoes are golden brown.
Serve with a steamed green vegetable such as broccolli.