Chorizo, lentil and sweet potato soup...

I had chorizo, so wanted to make some sort of soup: I found a recipe here  and adapted it: It all worked in the microwave, too, taking around thirty minutes from start to finish.

Gently fry a good length of chorizo for a couple of minutes in a tablespoon of olive oil and a little butter.
Add 1 chopped onion, fry for another 5 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile, chop 2 large cloves of garlic and half a large red pepper. Add to onion mix with a large handful of red lentils, rinsed, a stock cube and around 300 - 400 ml of water, to cover the mixture quite generously. Cook for five minutes.
Also, meanwhile, chop a large sweet potato (or two large ordinary potatoes) into 1 inch cubes and add to mix with a large tablespoon of paprika and a little salt.
Continue cooking while you cut up a small butternut squash.
Add squash to mix, adjust water as necessary and cook at least another 5 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and the vegetables soft.

It was, apparently, quite delicious. Even The Fussy Husband said it was good. It was just too spicy hot for me: one taste, to adjust seasoning, and my throat was on fire.

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.