Pesto Sauce

Recipe from She Cooks

Ingredients:

• 3-6 cloves garlic, peeled (depending on how much you love garlic)
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Put garlic, basil and pine nuts in a blender and process for 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle olive oil into the blender while processing for about two minutes or until smooth and the desired consistency. Stir in the cheese.
Variations:
You can pretty much make about any type of pesto you want. You can use lots of different greens/herbs and just about any nut. Here’s a short list to get you started:
Greens/herbs:
Basil
Mint
Cilantro
Arugula
Parsley
Nuts:
Pine Nuts
Walnuts
Macadamia Nuts
Almonds

Simply the best lentil dahl ever...

So simple, I am still taken by surprise every time I check that I have remembered the recipe correctly. It is very quick and easy in the microwave but can be done in a pan just as well.

Melt 2 chopped onions in 25g butter until as well cooked as you like them – any stage between transparent to brown and crispy on the edges.

Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 large tablespoon curry powder and 2 teaspoons turmeric. Add 225 g rinsed red lentils, stir well to coat, then 450 ml of stock – vegetable if you want to stay vegetarian but chicken or even ham adds good flavour.

Bring to the boil, simmer until lentils are cooked – at least 20 minutes in the microwave or 30 minutes on the hob. The lentils should be soft and collapsed and the whole dahl porridgey in texture. If in doubt, keep cooking – can’t really go wrong. A stir once or twice is a good idea, especially in the microwave. (Use a large bowl or dish as it all swells up into the liquid.)

Add 4 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander – mix in or just throw on the top of the dish.

Best with naan bread, but rice will do.