16. Sausage and Lentil Simmer

1 tbsp veg oil
130g streaky bacon
1lb sausages
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 sprigs rosemary
300g puy lentils (merchant gourmet always taste the nicest)
850ml chicken stock
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 can chopped toms
2 tbsp chopped parsley (if not more)

Fry sausages and bacon, taking out the sausages when brown and sticky. Add onions, carrot and garlic to the bacon. Soften onion then return the sausages and add lentils, rosemary, stock, vinegar and tomatoes. Season. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 mins - stirring occasionally.

This recipe was passed on to me by a friend at hockey when she heard i was doing the 52 recipe challenge, and i'm glad i found out about it! It's a very raw and natural dish with the lovely earthy flavours being promient- especially as i used venison sausages! As far as changes go, the rosemary and water were lessened, the vinegar omitted and i left the seasoning down to the sausages, bacon and stock. One to keep in the recipe folder!


Another nice little discovery was my homemade 'ginger crunch creams'. After making some stem gingernuts seriously lacking in that gingernut-related-crunch (with hindsight, the mixture was too moist) i thought to layer some up with left over buttercream icing from my birthday cake. Absolutely delicious! I'm just really gutted that i don't have anymore buttercream left over!