Sausage and lentil hot pot

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick

Ingredients
20 cocktail sausages (low fat , if you can get them)
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
140gm whole brown lentils
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
400ml hot beef stock
125ml dry red wine (if you have)
150gm carrots, sliced
150gm frozen green beans
1 Tblsp maizena

400gm potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks

Method
Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Brown the sausages all over.
Add the onion and garlic, and stirring, continue cooking until the onion is soft.

Add the lentils, stock, herbs and wine.
Add the carrots and green beans.
Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.

Meanwhile cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water.
Once cooked, drain and mash.

Mix the maizena to a thin paste with a little water.
Add to the sausages/lentils.
Stir while the gravy thickens.

Serve the hotpot over the potatoes.

I usually boil sausages before frying. Firstly, it gets rid of quite a bit of fat; and secondly, I know they are properly cooked; and thirdly, it stops them from exploding when I do ‘fry’ them.

Moussaka

Serves 4 : Easy : Takes a little longer
Ingredients
3 large aubergines, peeled and thickly (2cm) sliced
300gms lean minced lamb
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
35gms red lentils
1 x 400gm chopped tomatoes
1 Tblsp tomato paste
½ cup dry wine (red or white)
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar

2 cups fat free milk
2 Tblsp maizena
100gm strong hard cheese
½ tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and cayenne pepper

Method
Boil, steam or microwave slices until starting to become transparent.
Drain.

Spray a large oven proof dish and a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc.

Make a sauce with the milk, maizena, cheese and seasoning.
Set aside.

Fry the onion and garlic in the large pan.
Add the lamb mince and brown.
Stir in the lentils, herbs, tomatoes, paste and wine.
Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Taste. Add the sugar if the sauce is too sharp for you.

Place a layer of aubergine slices in the base of the ovenproof dish.
Top with ½ the mince.
Then another layer of aubergine followed by the rest of the lamb.
Top off with the remaining aubergine and the cheese sauce.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbling and browned.

Serve with a fresh green salad.

Pork strips with cucumber salad

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
±400gm lean pork strips (or fillet cut into strips)
2 Tblsp soy sauce
I heaped tsp grated ginger

12 radishes, sliced
½ long cucumber, sliced
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
½ red onion, chopped
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1 Tblsp Dijon mustard

240gm rice

Method
Mix the pork strips with the soy sauce and ginger.
Grind over some Chinese 5 spice and black pepper.
Allow to stand while you:

Put the rice on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Once tender, drain and keep warm.

Make the salad by combining the cucumber, celery and radish slices.
For the dressing, mix the mustard, lemon juice, oil and parsley together.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Spray a large pan with non-stick spray, and heat.
Tip the pork and marinade juices into the pan.
Cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve the pork over the rice and the salad on the side.


This salad keeps well in the fridge. Add some garlic, if you like. And the marinade on the pork strips is so simple, but so yummy.