Vege Lentil Bake

 I heard this recipe shared on Radio New Zealand in the winter of 2024, while I was driving somewhere. It sounded great, so when I got home I tracked it down and eventually we made it.

A Julie Biuso recipe called "Lentil Pie with Puffy Cheese Sauce". To be honest that's not the most inspiring name for such a delicious dish. And the cheese sauce isn't overly puffy. But I tell you what- it is so worth making.

I have discovered that there's loads of flexibility in this bake so just use what you have and go by your own taste and preferences.

Start with the vegetable base as in Julie's recipe:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• ¼ tsp fennel seed
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 350g (3) carrots, peeled and grated
• 350g (3) zucchini trimmed and grated
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp standard flour
• 1 x 400g can lentils, drained
• 1 Tbsp tomato concentrate
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 x 400g can cherry tomatoes in sauce (Mutti band)

And here's my alternative to the onion & garlic:

In a large pot saute:

2 leeks and a whole pile of onion weed

Other vege options: mushrooms, watercress, wild greens, spinach, red pepper, sweet corn and anything else you think might work.

Left-over chicken is also good.

Basic method is to saute all the first lot of ingredients, simmer until tender.

Then add the rest & gently fold together.

Pour in to a greased dish or two smaller ones.

The sauce part:

• 45g (3 Tbsp) butter
• 4 level Tbsp standard flour
• 400ml milk
• Salt
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground white pepper
• ¾ cup grated vintage cheddar cheese
• 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg
• 
  

 My additions: a dsp of whole grain mustard, a dsp of Ajva, much less cheese, possibly a little parmesan over the top. I used black pepper in the sauce too. This gives a bit more flavour.

Pour the sauce over the top of the vegetable base.

I gave the top a sprinkle of my own dried herb mix of rosemary, sage and thyme & a little paprika.

Bake for around 40 minutes in a moderate oven.

This was our last version of veges cooking.

Then with the addition of the lentils and the cherry tomatoes.

Such a light yet super tasty and satisfying dish that also keeps and reheats really well.

If I've been a bit confusing you can see the original recipe just here.

Catherine X

Wild Rice, Quinoa and Cherry Salad

When we were planning what we would take down to Wai Ora at the beginning of of December for our wedding anniversary, I got it in my head that a wild rice & cherry salad might be good. I couldn't find a recipe, so I made one up. Not hard when it's a salad.

I cooked equal quantities of wild rice and three coloured quinoa (or just white or red or brown).

Or just use rice if you prefer.

Make sure the rice is well cooked- this lot was just a tad under down.

I stoned cherries and halved them

Added dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachio nuts, chopped onion weed bulbs or spring onions. I also added a good amount of finely chopped mint, parsley and coriander.

Salt and ground black pepper.

The nuts could also be pinenuts, walnuts or hazelnuts.

The dressing makes all the difference:

4 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsp tamarind puree- either ready made or soak the caked tamarind version in water to soften, then push through a sieve.

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp lime juice

2 cloves of garlic or onion weed bulbs crushed

1/2 tsp fennel seeds lightly toasted & crushed- mortar & pestle or a spice grinder.

A pinch of chilli flakes

The salad went nicely with salmon that we cooked with a pomegranate molasses glaze on the little barbecue. 

Variation

Here we are at the beginning of February and some of the cherries from this season have hung on in the fridge. So I cooked some little Beluga lentils until tender and added them to the wild rice instead of quinoa. 

The other additions are: red shiso, variegated apple mint, wee unsprayed begonia flowers, nasturtium leaves, purple kumara and a dressing made with slow baked Black Doris plums, honey, yoghurt, salt & pepper, 1/2 tsp Garam marsala, olive oil & thick natural yoghurt.

Slow baking fruit is amazing! It concentrates the flavours and makes the fruit even more delicious and digestible. A sprinkling of good sugar and in to the oven at 150C for 1/2 an hour. 

Katie X