Fuss Free - Sausage and Lentil One Pot

Most of my recipes involve throwing everything into a pan and hoping for the best. This is no exception! A tasty filling meal, which makes a change from sausages and mash. If you're larder is nicely stocked - which I highly advise in order to make cheap and healthy meals, then you won't have any problems making this dish. Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off, most of the writing is cooking and larder tips. This one-pot can be eaten alongside a baked potato, a healthy salad or some green veg.

Ingredients (serves 6)

- 2 packs of regular sausages (around 700-800g fat or thin - I like to buy these from the supermarket when they're reduced and then bung them in the freezer for when I need them)

- 1 onion, cut in half and sliced

- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

- a good few dashes of red wine (I store leftover bottles from dinners in the cupboard for cooking, but often use white or rose instead - any wine will do!)

- 400g tinned chopped tomatoes

- 1 tsp paprika

- half a vegetable or chicken stock cube in 400g of boiling water

- 2 dried or fresh chillies, deseeded (bags of dried chillies can be bought from any Asian supermarket for next to nothing, and put in a jam jar for when you need them)

- 200g red or green split lentils (I only had red at the time but any uncooked lentils would work)

- 1 handful of chopped parsley, fresh or frozen (if I buy herbs and know I'm not going to use them before they go bad, I chop them up and keep them bagged in the freezer for these sorts of dishes - saves on waste and means you won't have to buy them for a while)

- 2 handfuls of frozen peas, thawed in boiling water

1. Start by frying the garlic and onion in a little sunflower/vegetable and garlic oil. You will need to use a deep wok/frying pan with a lid, or a non-stick saucepan with a lid. After a few minutes, add the wine, and bring to the boil. Then add the chopped tomatoes, stock, paprika and chilli. 

2. Once it has got nice and hot, put the sausages into the sauce. You can either cut them up or keep them whole. Cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes with a lid on.

3. Next, add the lentils to the dish and cook for a further 10 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. If it looks like it's starting to get dry, add a bit more water or wine. 

4. The lentils and sausages should nearly be cooked, so finally pour in the thawed peas and chopped parsley. 

(If you're cooking a baked potato, whack it in the microwave for 8 minutes until soft, and put it under the grill (at stage 4.) with a little oil, salt and pepper on top, for a few minutes to crisp up).

You're ready to eat! A fried or poached egg would also be delicious served on top. 

Any leftovers can be eaten for the next few days, or put in the freezer.