Lentil Vege Bake

Lentil/Quinoa mix

1 cup split red lentils

½ cup quinoa (I usually use white, but colour is not important)

1 l vegetable stock (or 1 l water + 2 tspn stock powder)

Vegetables

1 leek - washed, cut in half lengthways, then sliced thinly widthways

1 capsicum (any colour) - washed, deseeded, finely diced

1 large handful button mushrooms - cut in half, then finely sliced

1 large carrot - washed, grated or blitzed in food processor, no need to peel

1 zucchini - washed, stalk removed, grated or blitzed in food processor

Total volume of prepared vegetables, should be about 3-4 cups

Spices

2 tsp ground smoked paprika

1 tsp ground chilli powder (or to taste)

In a medium saucepan, add the lentils, quinoa and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce temperature and simmer uncovered. Once the mixture thickens, and starts to bubble like a volcano, stir constantly to prevent it from sticking. Continue until there is very little liquid left. Remove from the heat.

While the lentil mix is cooking, work on preparing and cooking the vegetables.

In a large non-stick saute pan, add the leek. Start cooking on high heat, then turn down to prevent the leek from burning. Add splashes of water or stock to prevent the leek from catching.

Once the leek has become soft, add the capsicum and mushrooms. Continue cooking, while stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

Add the spices, and cook for another minute or so to release the flavours of the spices. The mixture may stick to the pan. That is to be expected, as you want the pan to be dry, to allow the spices to cook properly.

Assemble and bake

Tip the lentil/quinoa mixture into the pan with the leeks, mushroom, capsicum mix. Add the carrot & zucchini. Mix all together.

Transfer mixture to a large baking dish. Smooth the surface. Bake in a moderate oven (180degC) for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the top has browned slightly and the surface feels firm to touch.

Once cooked, leave the dish on the bench for a few minutes before serving. This will allow the bake to hold together as you remove it.

Notes for this recipe

Any uneaten bake is very easy to reheat. Store it in the fridge, then either reheat in the oven, or in the microwave.

This recipe can be very versatile. If you don't have the vegetables in the ingredients list, feel free to substitute with what you have. Or make a combination that suits your tastes. It is hard to go wrong, so have a try. My rule of thumb is, if it can be chopped to a small enough size, it doesn't need to be pre-cooked. Other vegetables would not taste good if they were still semi-raw in the bake - think eggplant or onion. I also like to have some vegetables in larger pieces, so you can see them (mushrooms, capsicum), and others ground up, so they become invisible. You will know how your family operates. So play around and see what works for you :-)

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Lentil Vege Bake