Comfort food. A cheesy bake of red lentils and cauliflower.
Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Heat some olive oil in a pan and gently fry a chopped onion, a chopped carrot and the same amount of chopped celery until softened. Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic and cook briefly before adding 1 cup of red lentils and 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes then add 1-1½ cups of cauliflower florets and continue to simmer until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in ¾ of a cup of grated cheddar cheese, some chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of dry breadcrumbs (or 2 tablespoons of fresh) and an egg. Season with freshly ground black pepper and some salt if necessary. Spoon into a shallow 4-cup ovenproof dish and sprinkle with another ¼ of a cup of grated cheddar cheese. Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is crisp and golden. Serve hot with tomato sauce (ketchup).
michelle picker cooks 