Since moving to Latvia I have reluctantly begun to eat meat again - my diatribe concerning lifestyle choices in Latvia is coming soon but this is neither the time nor the place. Suffice to say, when I cook, I still cook veggie every time. This is an amazing dish – incredibly versatile, cheap, quick and easy to make and suitable for every occasion – you can knock it up after coming home from the pub or you can serve it at a posh dinner party – any and all will enjoy.

Oh…and following from Markus’ point regarding units of measurement, my apologies to any who were discombobulated by my use of ounces. I am slowly overcoming my upbringing but for now you’ll have to suffice with a transitory system (it matters not how big your hands and cups are, within reason, the point here is to maintain relative proportions – nothing more; and this really is a very forgiving recipe – you can screw it up in so many ways and it still tastes amazing)

Preparation time: 20 minutes (20-30 minutes to cook)

Difficulty: Easy

Utensils: Medium saucepan, wooden spoon, grater

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots (grated)
1 large onion
2 sticks celery
1 cup split red lentils
1 cup stock
A good handful of closed cup mushrooms
6-8 large tomatoes (or a tin of chopped tomatoes)
Tomato puree (a good squeeze or 1 tbsp.)
3 cloves garlic
Red wine vinegar to taste (I use 2-3 tsp.)
Basil
2 Bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil

Method:

1. Chop the onion, celery and mushrooms however you like (I go for small bits of onion and celery and big bits of mushroom). Finely chop the garlic. If you are using fresh tomatoes, dice them roughly.

2. Fry the garlic, onion, celery and carrots in the oil until soft. Add the mushrooms and a good splash of red wine vinegar. Cook until the mushrooms soften. If you are using fresh tomatoes, add them at the same time as the mushrooms and simmer until the pieces start to break down and all the lovely juices come out.

3. Add the lentils, stir well and then add the stock, bay leaves, tomato puree and basil. If you are using tinned tomatoes, now is the time to add them. Bring to the boil, and then partially cover the pan and leave to simmer for approx. 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4. It’s ready when the lentils go soft. Stir in plenty of freshly ground black pepper and leave for a minute or two more – you can adjust the texture of the sauce by cooking longer for a thicker more stodgy consistency or adding water/stock if it gets too thick.

This recipe is as versatile as your imagination. You can add any different vegetables or meats (I sometimes do it with pieces of courgette (zucchini) and red pepper). You can change the herbs (any green herbs are good – it’s also excellent if you simmer it with fresh rosemary and red wine). You can add chillis, you can turn it into a curry by putting a few tsps of curry paste in when you fry the veg. It’s a basic tomato based sauce that can be used anywhere.

You can serve it with pasta, rice, couscous, baked potatoes or chunks of fresh bread. I would also suggest a good fresh green salad, black olives, some cheddar type cheese grated over the top and a bottle of good red wine.

It should serve around 4 people. Like a chilli, the flavour gets better the longer it stands for. If you have some leftover, its simplicity itself to bulk it out for another meal – just chuck in some more tomatoes and whatever else comes to hand.