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!