Lentil & Walnut Bolognaise
For me a big pot of batch cooked chilli/bolognaise is the perfect meal on a cold, rainy day. I always think it tastes better the next day when all the flavours have really soaked in
Ingredients
1 tin lentils (I use beluga)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 chopped carrot
2 chopped sticks of celery
1 chopped white onion
4/5 sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon paprika/hot sauce
1 small cup red wine/balsamic vinegar
2 cups walnuts quickly wuizzed in blender
Salt/pepper to taste
Optional courgette/peppers etc…
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
These ingredient quantities are deliberately vague, as really, you can adapt to suit you & if you don’t have something, it doesn’t mean you can’t make it!
Method
Sautee the onion, celery & garlic until soft, then add the carrots until soft. Keep low & keep stirring to avoid it burning.
Add the walnuts, courgettes & mushrooms & stir. If it is too dry you can add a drizzle of water to keep it from sticking
Add the lentils, stir in the seasoning & tomato puree for a few moments to coat all the ingredients, then add the chopped tomatoes (you can rinse out the tins with a bit of water and add that too), then add the wine/balsamic & then stir in.
Simmer on a low heat for about 30-40 minutes until the walnuts & lentils are soft (or whatever texture you fancy)
We serve over spelt or brown rice pasta & you can either add cheese or we love a sprinkle of nutritional yeast - enjoy!