Super-Satisfying Lamb Sausages and Lentils

On Monday night I was craving a bit of comfort food - something tasty and healthy (of course) but also with a bit of grunt to it. Something that would warmly fill every nook and cranny of my tummy; something like...sausages.

Odd, I know, as sausages usually don't tick the 'healthy' box, but choose good quality ones, pair them with lentils and some veggies and you have a super speedy, satisfying meal in a bowl.

I adapted a recipe from my Italian cooking bible - The Silver Spoon. Their recipe uses normal lentils and requires some advanced preparation (soaking). Being a Monday night, advanced preparation was definitely not going to happen, but who needs soaking when you have Puy lentils? The Silver Spoon also doesn't include enough veggies for my liking (just in this recipe), so I free-styled a bit.

Lamb Sausages and Lentils

Serves 2

·         250g Puy lentils

·         1 carrot

·         1 celery stick

·         2 shallots

·         1 garlic clove

·         2 lamb sausages

·         Feta cheese (cubed)

·         Olive oil (approx 2T)

·         Baby tomatoes (halved)

·         Mint (roughly ripped)

Roughly chop half the carrot and half the celery stick. Take one shallot and cut in half also. In a saucepan, cook lentils with the chopped carrot, celery and shallot with enough water (water level about 2-3cm above the lentil level). Bring to the boil and then simmer.

While lentils are cooking, cut remaining half carrot and celery into small cubes and finely chop shallot and garlic. Roughly chop sausages to your preference (mine were approx 1-2cm slices).

Heat oil in a pan over a low heat and gently fry shallot, garlic and sausages. Add carrot and celery as lentils near completion.

 

Pour strained lentils (discard carrot, celery and shallot) into a warmed bowl, top with sausage mixture from pan (yes, include all the oil) and season to taste.  Finally add halved baby tomatoes, feta and torn mint leaves.

 

Mix and serve.

You can pretty much use whatever ingredients you have on hand here - eggplant, zucchini, basil, parsley, or leave out the sausage and serve with lamb chops. You are only limited by your imagination. Get cooking!