Lightly seasoned lentil patties

Makes 12-14 patties so plenty for freezing

Ingredients

1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 cup red lentils
2 cups low salt vege stock
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 carrot (grated)
1 medium potato (grated)
1 small sweet potato (grated)
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander or 1 tsp dried
3 eggs (beaten)
5 or 6 slices wholemeal bread (crumbed)
fouler for dusting
cooking oil (rapeseed or sunflower)

Method


Fry the onion and garam masala until the onion starts to become transparent
Add the lentils and vege stock and bring to the boil
Simmer for 10 - 15 mins
Add the grated vegetables and coriander and cook for a further 5 mins or until the mixture is quite dry
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the vege mix from the saucepan and the breadcrumbs and mix well
Dust the bench with flour and form patties.
Fry in vegetable oil at a medium to high temperature

Uncooked patties can be frozen

Quick and easy lentils, chickpeas and beans

In my opinion, home cooked chick peas, lentils and beans taste heaps better than those from a tin - they are also loads cheaper. You can have all the taste of homecooked, all the convenience of a tin, and minimise the cost if you buy a bag of the dried product, cook the whole packet in one go, and then freeze in portions (about 1 cup full works well for us). You can prepare these at any time - such as after baby's bed time.

First, soak for 24 hours, changing the water halfway through, and then rinse.

Cooking times are usually on the packet - but just in case...

Chick peas and yellow split peas - 90mins
Kidney beans, pinto beans, black eyed beans (and almost any other bean except soya ) - 40 mins
Soya beans generally require 2-3 hours (see pack)

Gardener's Pie

Servings: some for now and some for the freezer

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils

1 tbsp oil suitable for frying (eg sunflower or rapeseed - not olive oil)
1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove crushed garlic
4-5 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
1 carrot finely sliced
1/2 cup broccoli florets

1 cup low salt vegetable stock

1 tsp mixed herbs(or other herbs that you prefer - oregano is nice in this dish)
Garlic pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups mashed potato (optional)


Method:
Soak the lentils for 2 hours or overnight, drain and rinse (or prepare in advance and freeze)

Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute onion, garlic and mushrooms for 5 minutes
Add remaining vegetables and saute a further 5 minutes
Add cooked lentils, seasoning, tamari, vegetable stock, herbs and tomato paste.
Stir over heat until combined and simmer until all the vegetables are tender and the mixture is fairly thick
Place in an ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato
Brown in a hot oven for about 15 minutes

Alternatively, serve the mashed potato separately. Mashed potato can be substituted with sweet potato, or swede if you wish.

There should be enough for one meal for the two of you, and a couple of portions for the freezer (I don't recommend freezing the mash, just the base)