Wednesday 13 June 2012

Chorizo & Lentil Supper - thank you Google!


Ok, so Monday became, unintentionally, a Sam Barnes Google Recipe challenge night.

In the true spirit in which the challenge was conceived (in the pub, wine consumed), I had completely failed to take account of the fact that the Husband and I would need to eat on Monday evening.






I fed the ravenous hordes (all 4 of them) sweet chilli dogs, potato wedges, baked beans, as planned, and carrot hummus, which was not – before cubs, which  all went down very well – so well in fact that there was nothing left for me and the Husband – although that’s not surprising given I only cooked 8 sausages. Actually, I tell a lie, there was quite a lot of hummus left, but then I did use all the carrots. However, I wasn’t looking forward to presenting the Husband with a bowl of carrot hummus, so fridge diving produced: 1 pack of cooking chorizo (it was a 2 for 1 offer last week), the rather curly end of a celery, 3 spring onions and a red onion. Whilst dithering about for carbohydrate inspiration, I came across the end of a bag of red lentils.


I googled chorizo and lentils first, and eventually came up with this little gem: Chorizo and Lentil tapas . I didn’t have the red pepper, but I thought the celery would do instead. I had different quantities of lentils and (shock horror) NO WINE IN THE HOUSE (well it was Monday – on principle, we always finish up the bottles on Sunday night...). I didn’t have any fresh (or dried thyme) but a few of the other recipes I’d rejected had suggested fennel as a good accompaniment to chorizo. I rummaged inthe cupboard and came up with some fennel seed. Result (especially if you could see the state of my spices cupboard...).

caution - falling debris - only open slowly and whilst wearing a hard hat



So here is my version, to serve 2 with leftovers:

Chorizo and Lentil Supper

Ingredients: 200g cooking chorizo, thinly sliced, 1 chopped red onion, 4 wilting stalks of celery (including leaves if you feel so inclined), 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped, 3 spring onions, finely sliced, 150 g red lentils, 500 ml veg stock, a good teaspoon’s worth of fennel seeds, quickly bashed in a a pestle and mortar, salt and pepper

Method: heat a little oil in a frying pan on quite a low heat then add the onions and cook for 10 minutes or so until soft. Add in the celery, garlic, spring onions , bashed fennel seeds and lentils and stir for a couple of minutes then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 -25 mins or so until the lentils are cooked. You may need to add a little more water/stock from time to time so keep an eye on the pan. When the lentils are pretty much cooked, add the chorizo and cook for another 10 mins, stirring to spread the juices released by the chorizo through the lentils. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve – I had some lettuce which I quartered lengthways and I found some mini pittas in the bottom of the freezer so I popped some of them under the grill to defrost and warm up.


It was disproportionately tasty - really, really good. Another success in the Sam Barnes Google Recipe Challenge!

4 comments:

  1. Sweet chilli dogs sound interesting, have you got a recipe?
    My spice cupboard is exactly the same, plus most are at least 2 years past BB!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hey, biscuits, I got the chilli dog recipe out of June 2012 Good Food. basically it's hot dogs with some oninos that you fry off and then add (to one sliced onion - easily doubled etc) 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 1 tbsp tomato ketchup. Actually, I just checked the mag and they used tonato puree but I didn't have any. They suggest using sweet chilli sausages but I just used ordinary fat pork ones.

      Did you see the Schwarz advert not so long ago where they put a picture of their old style jar and said the last time they had herbs/spices on sale in those jars? I had a significant number of those jars...

      Delete
  2. Oh I bet that was delicious - just the sort of thing I feel like eating when it's cold and grim. And it really is cold and grim. Does your husband cook at all? Just wondering.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it just cold and grim - our kids' sports day has been cancelled for tomorrow.It was really good comfort food.

      He does cook and he likes it when I let him. Perhaps I should let him do more.

      Delete

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