Big old pot o' French lentils. Guesstimate of 60-70p per portion
I've had these from prepared cans in the past. l'd taken some veal from the freezer and thought it would work with the French vibe. I thought they might be pretty easy to make, and they were.
The recipe makes maybe 6 or so portions:
500g dry green lentils (Puy lentils if you can find them, lentilles vertes if not - at least thats what Sainsburys [UK] called them. Apparently there are two different types of green lentils - you want the type that you don't need to soak overnight)
2 onions finely diced
2 carrots finely diced
2, or 4 or 6 or whatever amount of garlic cloves. I like garlic so added quite a bit. Minced or finely sliced
1.4 L of veg stock
Salt and pepper to taste (you can be generous with this).
Mixed herbs (a reasonably generous amount, dried is fine)
Method
Fry off the onion and carrot for a bit in oil (or butter guess), add the garlic and fry that off too. Maybe 10-15 minutes total.
Chuck everything else in and simmer it for anywhere between 20-40 minutes (take it off the heat when you like the texture). texture).
I served these with breadcrumbed veal steak, pan fried (no pictures).
The lentils don't have a strong flavour profile, they have delicate herby and earthy flavours. I know the big pot doesn't look super appetising, but it was very pleasant.
Lentils are a decent source of plant-based protein, they're rich in fibre and they also count as one of your 5 a day.
Without the veal, this would be a perfectly functional whole vegetarian meal - tasty and satisfying, though maybe not particularly exciting.
If I wanted to make my meal veggie l'd probably substitute halloumi or maybe firm tofu for the veal - just to add a different flavour and texture. You don't need to add extra protein to this dish, but I like some variety.
Depending on how many portions you get out of it, it probably comes to something like 60p-70p per portion of lentils (not including the cost of additional proteins like veal, halloumi or tofu - these aren't needed for a full nutritious meal, but the different flavours and textures are nice)
I've had these from prepared cans in the past. l'd taken some veal from the freezer and thought it would work with the French vibe. I thought they might be pretty easy to make, and they were.
The recipe makes maybe 6 or so portions:
500g dry green lentils (Puy lentils if you can find them, lentilles vertes if not - at least thats what Sainsburys [UK] called them. Apparently there are two different types of green lentils - you want the type that you don't need to soak overnight)
2 onions finely diced
2 carrots finely diced
2, or 4 or 6 or whatever amount of garlic cloves. I like garlic so added quite a bit. Minced or finely sliced
1.4 L of veg stock
Salt and pepper to taste (you can be generous with this).
Mixed herbs (a reasonably generous amount, dried is fine)
Method
Fry off the onion and carrot for a bit in oil (or butter guess), add the garlic and fry that off too. Maybe 10-15 minutes total.
Chuck everything else in and simmer it for anywhere between 20-40 minutes (take it off the heat when you like the texture). texture).
I served these with breadcrumbed veal steak, pan fried (no pictures).
The lentils don't have a strong flavour profile, they have delicate herby and earthy flavours. I know the big pot doesn't look super appetising, but it was very pleasant.
Lentils are a decent source of plant-based protein, they're rich in fibre and they also count as one of your 5 a day.
Without the veal, this would be a perfectly functional whole vegetarian meal - tasty and satisfying, though maybe not particularly exciting.
If I wanted to make my meal veggie l'd probably substitute halloumi or maybe firm tofu for the veal - just to add a different flavour and texture. You don't need to add extra protein to this dish, but I like some variety.
Depending on how many portions you get out of it, it probably comes to something like 60p-70p per portion of lentils (not including the cost of additional proteins like veal, halloumi or tofu - these aren't needed for a full nutritious meal, but the different flavours and textures are nice)