Tad Seaborn/The Globe and Mail
Here's a one-dish dinner that's a little bit comfort food and a little bit the lentils you always promise to eat more of. If you're like me and stock up on canned lentils for the latter reason you'll be set for the rest of the year. With some light prep work, a flavourful, savoury dinner can be on the table without much effort. Just make sure that the people serving give themselves an equal amount of sausage-to-lentils ratio as everyone else. Leftovers heat up well for taking to work the next day.
Ingredients
4 sausages
2 thinly sliced medium red onions
1 sliced yellow or red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
bay leaf
2 540 ml cans of drained green lentils
1/2 cup chicken stock
Method
In a large pan, lightly coated with oil, brown 4 sausages on medium-high and lower the temperature to cook all the way through – about 15 minutes.
Remove the sausages and set aside.
In the same pan add 2 thinly sliced medium red onions and soften slowly over med-low heat until golden (add a touch of oil if needed).
Add 1 sliced yellow or red pepper and cook till softened.
Now season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder.
Add 1/4 cup red wine (or chicken stock), a bay leaf and cook till reduced, about 5 minutes.
Add two 540 ml cans of drained green lentils, 1/2 cup chicken stock and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
Season.
Add back the sausage (whole or sliced) and allow to heat.
Serve.
This will make four to six portions.
Sue Riedl