Wild Mushroom and Lentil Cottage Pie

 

I have always felt a little Irish in my blood, especially in March. This month the Virtual Supper Club is honouring the most popular celebration in Ireland and everyone in the world who wishes they were Irish. On St. Patrick's Day we all have a little Irish in our veins.

 

Cottage pie is traditionally made with beef or lamb, however, this mushroom and lentil version leaves you with no meat cravings. It is hearty and satisfying. The heady drizzle of truffle oil brings it into the nouvelle cuisine category. Take it to the table with a boat of mushroom gravy.

 

March is still a bit nippy 'round the bippy. This comfort food is a perfect casual meal. And a bird never flew on one wing so load up your plate. It's all good for you. 

 

Check on the rest of the dinner with these bloggers and enjoy Irish comfort food at its best:

 

Jerry at A Life, Lived starts the meal with an Irish Cheddar Bacon Dip. There is nothing better than a good Irish cheddar. Then add bacon and it can help but be a crowd pleaser.

Sandy from The Whistlestop Cafe brings a sumptuous Potato Kale Soup with Gruyere.

Val from More Than Burnt Toast has chosen a very Irish side dish of buttery mashed potatoes called Green Onion Champ.

Susan is serving Shamrock Meringue Cups for a very Irish looking dessert. Mmmm. Wouldn't this be good with an Irish coffee?

 

Wild Mushroom and Lentil Cottage Pie

4 servings

2 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato

1/2 tablespoon salt, divided 

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or whey

1/2 teaspoon piment d'esplette

1/2 cup dried green lentils

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil 

1  cup finely chopped onion 

1/2 cup finely diced carrot 

1/4 cup finely diced celery 

1 ounce wild mushroom blend, such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

1/2 tablespoon white truffle oil

Chopped chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Rehydrate dried mushroom in a cup of very hot water. Reserve mushroom soaking liquid.

To prepare topping, place potato and one teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 20 minutes or until very tender and drain. Return potatoes to the pan. Add buttermilk or whey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and piment d'esplette to potatoes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare filling, combine lentils, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain, and set aside.

Make mushroom gravy in recipe below.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half of the mushroom gravy. Add sherry, soy sauce, tomato paste, thyme, and lentils to mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Spoon lentil mixture into a 1-quart casserole. Top with potato mixture, spreading evenly. Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden and lentil mixture is bubbling. Drizzle truffle oil over potatoes. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired. Serve with reserved mushroom gravy.

Mushroom Gravy

2 pounds button and cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/8-inch thick, trimmed 

2 ounces of mixed wild dried mushrooms

reserved mushroom soaking liquid and organic low-sodium canned mushroom or vegetable stock to make 4 cups

6 tablespoons unsalted butter 

2 shallots, finely chopped  

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour  

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Rehydrate dried mushrooms in one cup of boiling water.

Remove stems from mushrooms. Place stems and stock in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes. Strain; set aside.

Place 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add shallots, and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms are soft, browned, and all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine remaining 3 tablespoons butter and flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring until incorporated and browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in stock; bring to a boil, whisking until thickened. Stir in reserved mushroom mixture and thyme. Serve hot.

A Menu Inspired by the Movies and Romance....Enchanted April

This month our Virtual Supper Club celebrates a wedding anniversary. Susan and her husband are celebrating 34 years of marriage. We join together in presenting a romantic dinner with dishes taken from our favourite romantic movie.

I am making the appetizer for this dinner. Enchanted April  is set in Italy in a castle overlooking the rich blue Mediterranean. I have seen this movie a number of times and never tire of the story. The romance is not only in the beauty of the setting but in the realizations of the women that they have love in their life. Their bold move brought love back into their lives in surprising ways. It is a recipe for happiness: four women, one medieval Italian castle, plenty of wisteria, and solitude as needed.

Susan, I wish you many more happy anniversaries. I hope the menu we create makes this special time even more special.

My appetizer is made with this very unique burrata cheese from Puglia in southern Italy. It is a fresh cheese made with a buffalo or cow mozarella outer shell filled with more mozarella and cream. When it is cut open the thickened cream oozes out. The result is delicious and decadent. It is best served at room temperature.

Susan's main dish is inspired by Lady and the Tramp's pasta scene. She is making Chicken Puttanesca

Jerry is bringing soup and takes inspiration from There is a Girl in My Soup. Check out his lovely French Onion Soup

Sandi's side dish is inspired by Sweet Home Alabama. What is more Alabama than Brown Rice Shrimp Jambalaya

Val's dessert is Italian inspired by the movie Under The Tuscan Sun. Her yummy Lemon Panna Cotta is a wonderful ending to this meal.


Burrata and Apricot Appetizer

burrata cheese
1 c. dried apricots
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
prosciutto
baby kale
poppy seed vinaigrette dressing

Place dried apricots and sugar in a heavy pan and with 1 cup with water. Simmer until plumped. Allow the apricots to brown as it simmers. Remove from heat and add vanilla bean, with seeds scraped out and pod cut into small pieces. Cool completely.

Plate the appetizer with a small bit of baby kale dressed with a poppy seed vinaigrette dressing. Top with half a slice of prosciutto topped with a stewed apricot. Drizzle with a bit of the apricot liquid around the plate. Add slice of burrata. Serve.

Tailgate Food for Virtual Supper Club

Football season is in full swing and tailgating is one of the fun things to do on game day. Susan is hosting dinner this month.

I am bringing the appetizers. This really doesn't have a recipe. You can use whatever you enjoy or have on hand. It can be vegetarian, like mine, or not. Add prosciutto, smoked sausage and cheeses.

If you have a barbecue for tailgating, just make these on site. If not, they can be made ahead and served at room temperature. Both are tasty.

Fire Roasted Antipasti

red peppers
tomatoes
potatoes
baby carrots
eggplant
head of garlic
fresh peaches
corn on the cob
mushrooms
fresh lemons
block of feta cheese
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt

Red Peppers - blacken with skin on over hot coals. When fully blackened put in a sealable bag and let sit for 20 minutes. Then peel the skin off, remove stem and seeds and slice.

Eggplant - slice about 1/2 inch thick, rub with oil and grill over hot coals. Turn when browned, about 6 minutes.

Garlic - cut off top of head to expose the cloves. Rub with oil. Place cut side down on hot coals to carmelize. Remove from grill and drizzle a little more olive oil. Place back on grill, cut side up and roast until tender.

Corn on the cob - Trim the cob on both ends and remove outer leaves. Soak for 15 minutes in water. Place on hot grill and turn when blackened. Occasionally remove charred leaves and grill until tender.
Mushrooms - slice and toss with oil. Place in barbecue basket and grill until tender. Cut into small coblets.

Baby carrots - if they are fresh, scrub until clean. Otherwise peel. Toss in oil and place on grill until tender.

Potatoes - scrub and slice about 1/2 inch thick. Toss in olive oil. Grill over hot coals until done and turn as necessary.

Lemon - slice in half. Place cut side down on hot grill until there are grill marks.

Arrange all on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Crush sea salt over all. Squeeze lemon juice over all. Add prosciutto, cheeses. Serve.

Find the rest of the menu here...

Val at More Than Burnt Toast has  Apple Streusel Cupcakes
Sandi at The Whistle Stop Cafe made  Sweet Potato Chips
Jerry at Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants has  HeirloomTomato Salad  with Herbs and Capers
Susan at The Spice Garden  Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Coleslaw
 

July Virtual Supper Club - From the Sea

Welcome to our table. I am so sorry to be late!! My apologies everyone.

It is Supper Club time again. Each first Wednesday we share a virtual meal, a virtual breaking of bread. We take turns choosing a theme and take turns preparing the courses of the meal. This month Sandi from The Whistlestop Cafe Cooking, down south in Alabama, has chosen From the Sea as our theme.

I live in a small town on the Canadian prairies and there ain't much From the Sea out here! Plus I am to bring the side dish. As I searched the grocery store aisles I found nori and sea salt. These were the inspiration for my contribution. I am making Vegetable Temaki. It is a relatively simple recipe except for cooking the sushi rice. The process is exact. Follow it closely.

Check out all the tasty dishes that my friends are bringing.

Sandi - Whistlestop Cafe Cooking- Rosemary Shrimp Skewers
Val - More Than Burnt Toast - Baja Style Grilled Rock Lobster Tails
Susan - The Spice Garden - Coconut Crab and Shrimp Salad
Jerry- Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants - Margarita 
 

Vegetable Temaki

    2 cups cooked Sushi Rice

    4 nori (seaweed) sheets, cut in half

    1 teaspoon prepared wasabi

    24 snow pea pods, steamed

    1 red bell pepper, cut into 16 strips

    1 avocado, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

    Spread 1/4 cup rice on bottom half of 1 nori sheet. Spread 1/8 teaspoon wasabi diagonally over rice, starting at lower right corner.

Too bad my countertops are  the same colour as the nori.

    Arrange 3 snow peas, 2 pepper strips, and 1 avocado wedge over wasabi. Lift left lower corner of nori over vegetable mixture, pressing gently. Wrap top half of nori over vegetable mixture, pressing gently to form a cone shape. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Sushi Rice

Makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice. Prep time – 1 ¾ hours total consisting of rinsing and draining (35 min), soaking (30 min), cooking and steaming (25 min), finishing (15 min).

Ingredients
2 ½ cups uncooked sushi rice
2 ½ cups water
3 “ square of dashi konbu (or kombu) dried kelp seaweed, optional
2 ½ tsp sake

1. Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don't crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl because dry rice is very brittle.

2. Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.

3. Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight). Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu. Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.

4. Sushi vinegar dressing – 5 T rice vinegar, 5 t sugar, 1 ¼ t salt. Mix together in a pan and heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside at room temperature until needed.

5. After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice. Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat. Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.

6. Finishing the rice has 3 stages – turning out the rice, dressing the rice, and fanning the rice.

7. Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice. Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.

8. Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.

9. Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.

10. Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don't stir or mash rice. After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.

11. Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don't flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended.

12. Stop fanning when there's no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.

13. Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

14. Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 120

    Calories from fat: 30%

    Fat: 4g

    Saturated fat: 0.6g

    Monounsaturated fat: 2.4g

    Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g

    Protein: 2.6g

    Carbohydrate: 19g

    Fiber: 2.3g

    Cholesterol: 0.0mg

    Iron: 1.4mg

    Sodium: 87mg

    Calcium: 16mg

 

Virtual Supper Club - Cooking with Rice and Grains

The Virtual Supper Club's theme this month is cooking with rice and grains. I am always looking for new bread recipes so this really caught my eye. I loved the sound of sour rye bread. It takes a shortcut by using yogurt rather than a sourdough starter. This is much easier.

This recipe was a complete success. The flavours are sublime. Neither the caraway nor the onion dominate but it is well balanced with the flavour of the flour. I followed the recipe exactly and the bread rose beautifully. I have never brushed the bread with egg yolk before. I have used an egg white wash or a milk wash but this egg yolk wash produced a rich and shiny crust.

The only think I did differently was that I baked it in my steam oven. I baked it at 400F for 25 minutes with steam being injected throughout the early part of the cycle. The crust is amazing. I love the saltiness of the kosher salt. What can I say? I love this recipe. I think I will add it to my Farmers' Market menu this summer.

This month's menu is like a potluck and mostly main dishes. There should be lots of ideas here for you.

Check out the rest of the menu by clicking on the links below:

Sandi -Whistestop Café Cooking    Smoked Gouda Risotto with Spinach and Mushrooms
Jerry - Jerrys Thoughts, Musings and Rants Spelt Salad with White Beans and Artichoke 
Val- More Than Burnt Toast      Turkey Jasmine Rice Meatballs with Baby Bok Choy
Susan Linquist –The Spice Garden    Barley Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Pine Nuts and Raisins
Roz - La Bella Vita    Risotto Milanese

Hearty Sour Rye Bread

2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. chopped yellow onion
3 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. warm water
1 1/4 c. low fat yogurt
1 tbsp. caraway seeds
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. white pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/4 c. bread flour, divided
1 1/4 c. stoneground rye flour
cooking spray
1 tbsp. water
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
kosher salt

Heat olive oil in pan and add chopped onions. Saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. When done, cool completely.

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Add egg. Stir well with a whisk.

Add 2 c. bread flour and rye flour to this mixture, 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Stir in sauteed onion. Turn onto a countertop and knead until smooth and elastic. Add bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and the countertop.

Place dough in large bowl that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spray dough, also, and cover to rise in a warm, draft free place for about 45 minutes or until doubled. Punch down and let rest for 5 minutes.

Knead 5 times on the countertop and shape into a 7 inch round loaf. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush bread with egg yolk and water. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Make 3 slashes on the top of the loaf. Bake for about 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when rapped.

Let cool for about an hour before slicing.

Virtual Supper Club - Deceptively Easy Gourmet

Happy April Fool's Day! But today's beautiful food is no joke. It is my turn to host the party this month and look what everyone is bringing! And the good news is that you don't have to loosen that belt to enjoy good food.

We all lead busy lives but want to have nice food. It doesn't have to be all that difficult. Together we have selected a menu that is so easy but so nice! Enjoy.

Jerry - Jerrys Thoughts, Musings and Rants  Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus with Prosciutto
Susan Linquist –The Spice Garden    Ham, Corn and Cheese Souffle
Roz - La Bella Vita    Pork Saltimboca with Polenta

Sandi -Whistestop Café Chocolate Souffle with Creme Anglaise 
Val- More Than Burnt Toast     Carmelized Espresso Frappe

Ceviche de Camaron

This recipe takes me right back to my very first visit to Mexico. Serve with the traditional saltines and you will forget about this terrible cold weather.

You can leave the shrimp whole and serve it like a shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. I roughly chopped mine so I could serve it with crackers. 

    1/2 c. chopped onion

    6 c. water

    3/4 c. fresh lime juice, divided

    1 lb. medium shrimp

    1 c. chopped peeled cucumber

    1/2 c. ketchup

    1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro

    2 tbsp. Mexican hot sauce (such as Tamazula)

    1 tbsp. olive oil

    1/4 tsp. salt

Place chopped onion in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Bring 6 cups water and 1/4 cup juice to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; peel shrimp. Coarsely chop if you wish to use this as a dip. Combine shrimp and 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl; cover and chill 1 hour. Stir in onion, cucumber, and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or chilled.

Virtual Supper Club - All Things Green

This month the Virtual Supper Club is hosted by Susan of The Spice Garden. In honour of St. Patrick's Day we are selecting dishes with a little green! And, oh! Does this sound like a feast. Enjoy!

Sandi -Whistestop Café Cooking Lemony Snap Peas 
Jerry - Jerrys Thoughts, Musings and Rants  Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Dill Sauce
Val- More Than Burnt Toast     Creamy Feta Spinach Dip  
Susan Linquist –The Spice Garden    New Hampshire Maple Mustard Salad Dressing
Roz - La Bella Vita    Pesto Caesar Salad

This Iberian dish is similar to shrimp scampi. Good bread to soak up the rich sauce is a must.

I made this dish with both my giant shrimp and then again with smaller prawns more like a large shrimp. I like the flavour of the smaller prawns better. It was more assertive. This would be great as part of a tapas meal or shared as an appetizer. Using the giant prawns it is definitely a main course.
 

Shrimp in Green Sauce

    3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    6 garlic cloves, peeled

    1 cup coarsely chopped green onions

    1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

    2 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

    1/3 cup dry white wine

    6 ounces sourdough or French bread, torn into 6 (1-ounce) pieces

    Preheat oven to 500°.

    Place olive oil and garlic in a food processor; process until garlic is finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add green onions and parsley in food processor; pulse until minced. Spoon garlic mixture into a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, red pepper, and shrimp to garlic mixture, and toss well to coat.

    Spoon the shrimp mixture into a shallow roasting pan, and add the wine. Bake at 500° for 7 minutes or until the shrimp are done, stirring once. Serve with bread.

Smaller prawns were used in this dish.

Virtual Supper Club - Pucker up with Lemons

I know this is only my second month with this group but I could hardly wait for February. Pucker Up for Valentines Day with these lemony treats. All these  recipes sound so enticing.

 

I have made Preserved Lemons before but this recipe had a twist by using saffron. The colour was so delightful. I have always used my preserved lemons in a tagine and wanted, again, to try something new and this salad really caught my eye.
Now check out the rest of the menu and enjoy!

              

                Susan - Chicken Rice Avgolemono with Dill
                    Val - Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken
                    Jerry - Fennel Salad with Meyer Lemon
                    Roz - Lemon Polenta Cake with Winter Fruit Compote 
                    Sandi - Limoncello

Tomato Salad with Avocado and Preserved Lemons

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Cooking Light

    4 cups diced plum tomato (about 2 pounds)

    1 tablespoon minced preserved lemons

    2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 diced peeled avocado

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    Combine first 5 ingredients. Sprinkle with parsley.

I decided to present this salad in two different ways. The recipe suggest dicing the tomatoes and avocados and tossing with lemon juice.

I also decided to make it as a composed salad in the picture above. In both I used a nice coarse sea salt as garnish.





 

Preserved Lemons

Cooking Light

Preserved lemons are a classic Moroccan condiment.  I have used them in a tagine or Moroccan stew but a couple of sliced added to basmati rice would be divine. In this recipe saffron is added for an earthy flavor and a beautiful golden orange color. Pack in a wide-mouth glass pint container.

I made my preserved lemons two ways, also. In one jar I cut the lemons into quarters, almost but not quite through at the top so they are still in one piece. In the other jar, I sliced the lemons and stacked them to fill the jar. The sliced lemons are with salt only and no saffron. You can see the difference in colour.

Usually you only use the peel of the preserved lemon. If you use the flesh, be sure to adjust the salt in your recipe because these are preserved in salt.

    1 tablespoon kosher salt

Lemons 2 ways - whole with saffron and sliced with only salt.

    1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

    2 cups thinly sliced lemon (about 3 lemons)

    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    Combine salt and saffron. Place one lemon slice in bottom of a wide-mouth 2-cup glass container. Sprinkle with a dash of salt mixture. Repeat layers with the remaining lemon slices and salt mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature 3 days.

    After 3 days, press the lemon slices down with a spoon. Pour the juice and oil over lemon slices. Place a ramekin, custard cup, or clean decorative stone on top of lemon slices (to weigh them down). Cover and let stand at room temperature 5 days. Remove weight, and cover with lid of container.

    Note: Preserved lemons can be stored at room temperature for up to a month or refrigerated for up to 6 months.


 

Virtual Supper Club January

Happy New Year!  Everyone!  Wishes for an amazing year to everyone and to my blogging friends, have a great, creative and inspirational 2013.

I am so excited to be a member of Val's from More Than Burnt Toast Virtual Supper Club. Click on her link to see the entire menu.   Once a month we all make something healthy and nutritious from Cooking Light. It is a fantastic group of passionate cooks and you will enjoy all the amazing ideas. So, this is your free ticket to a year of amazing food.  Welcome!

The theme this month is Clean Food.  What we mean is that you are cooking from scratch without mixes and packages.  It is just pure food.

I am using my locally sourced Black Welsh lamb in this dish.  The tomatoes are home canned and the lentils are from my neighbour's field. The picture below shows all the ingredients.  Very simple but the complexity of flavour is satisfying.  Serve with basmati rice and raita.

Now, check out all the other wonderful recipes from the group.

Sandi
Whistestop Café  Cooking
Spinach Onion Swiss Frittata

Jerry
Jerrys Thoughts, Musings and Rants
Lentil Salad with Fresh Herbs

Val
More Than Burnt Toast
Bulghur with Dried Cranberries

Susan Linquist
The Spice Garden
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fennel

Roz
La Bella Vita
Citrus Granita

Curried Lamb and Lentil Stew    adapted from Cooking Light October 1997

1 1/2 lb lamb shoulder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup lentils
1 - 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups chopped collards or greens
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
cilantro sprigs

Trim fat from lamb, and cut into cubes and set aside.

Heat  oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, celery and garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Add lamb and saute 5 minutes or until browned. Add cumin, curry and pepper until coated. Add lentils, broth and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add greens, unless it is spinach. Spinach should be added at the very end and wilted. It is too delicate to take much cooking. Add greens and carrots and simmer 30 minutes or until lamb is tender.

Remove from heat. If using spinach, add now and cover and let it steam for 5 minutes. Add chopped cilantro.

Serve garnished with cilantro sprigs, if desired and basmati rice and raita.