What do you do when all you have in the fridge is a fennel bulb and a can of lentils?

Lentil and Fennel Soup

1 can brown lentils
1 onion
Half a lemon juice
Teaspoon oregano
3 cloves garlic
vege stock
splash Tabasco
1 shallot

Fry onion in olive oil til softened. Add sliced fennel and sliced garlic and stir fry for a while. Squeeze in lemon juice. Add Tabasco and oregano then just cover with vege stock. Add lentils and serve.

Serve topped with sliced shallot.

Sweet Potato, Red Lentil and Coconut Soup

Oh I really must start using measurements. But while I know them to be important, my brand of savoury experimenting just doesn't require them. I promise I will start. But not today. So, here goes - another vague recipe. Also, am aware crappy iphone pics of food are, well, crappy, but alas I cannot find the cord that connects camera to computer.

Years ago a housemate of mine, Lou, made a soup like this and it was divine. I decided to make it for a friend who came over last week to flush my nasal passages with salt water - a yogic practice of some sort that I agreed to mainly because I like the phrase "flush my passages" so much. He told me dairy was bad for the flu (which I know already but ignore) so I set about making vegan dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils, soaked over night
• 1 large sweet potato, chopped into small pieces
• Half a can of coconut cream
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 large cloves of garlic
• 1 nob of ginger approx. 2cm square
• Vege stock
• 2 teaspoons dried chilli (or fresh chilli) - the amount of chilli really depends on your taste. I like to add little bit by little bit tasting along the way
• 1 heaped teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander powder
• Salt & Pepper
• Sesame oil for frying (or vege or canola oil)

1. Soak lentils overnight in water, covered by a cloth.

2. Lightly fry the ginger (grated on a small hole grater) and onion in oil. Add spices. As they soften, add the chopped garlic.

3. Add the lentils and chopped sweet potato and cover the mixture with vege stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer til the sweet potato and lentils are very soft.

4. Blend til smooth.

5. At this point, you can leave the mixture overnight (if preparing in advance) or freeze portions. This soup was actually the most flavoursome on day 3!

6. Heat soup before serving and add coconut milk. Stir and serve.

I served this with cumin flat/crispbread. Shall be uploading various flat bread recipes soon!

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Summer Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
1 can brown lentils (or brown lentils you have soaked and stuff)
half a bulb of fennel, finely sliced
handful or two of sugar snap peas, blanched in boiling water then quickly run under a cold tap
half a red capsicum, roughly chopped
a cucumber, chopped into chunks
a handful or two of tiny cheery tomatoes or grape tomatoes
4 radishes, finely sliced
small handful of parsley, chopped
tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
small handful mint, chopped

half a lemon, squeezed
half a lime, squeezed
a good splash of olive oil
1 small chilli, desseded and chopped
1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped

slices of fried haloumi (optional. is still delicious without it for vegany joy! avocado slices would work too. or a dollop of humous)
or feta

You could also add baby spinach to bulk it up! or chick peas if that's your thing.

Chuck everything in a bowl and mix!
Serve topped with fried haloumi slices or feta or avocado or humous.

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