Things have been very quiet on the blog of late, haven’t they? Never fear, I’m still serving up delicious, quick and budget-friendly food for my family and working hard putting together meal plans, I’m just not finding the time to sit down to post the recipes here! Make sure you follow me on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with the yummy meals we’re having at FFF headquarters. Like the one I’m sharing today. It’s a great winter warmer (or quick meal any time of year, really) – my Chorizo and Lentil Braise.

This quick and easy dish is an absolute winner. Fast to prepare, in one pan, with budget pantry staples, it makes loads for leftovers that can be frozen for another day or used to crack eggs into the next morning for a super-nutritious baked egg breakfast. What’s not to love?

We love this served up with crusty sourdough for scooping and dipping.

Frugal Tip: Char-grilled capsicum freezes well. Buy bulk red capsicums when they are in season, grill and peel, then freeze for later use in dishes such as this. They add such a great flavour and texture to soups and casseroles too.

Fast Tip: To show you just how quick and easy this is, I cooked it in a live video on my Facebook page. Find the video here.

Lentil & Chorizo Braise

Ingredients:

2 red capsicums

1 good quality chorizo sausage, diced (you could use bacon if you prefer)

2 tsp olive oil

1 brown onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp each smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder

¼ tsp chilli flakes (or more to taste) or 1-2 tsp harissa paste – optional – leave out and add chilli at the table instead if your prefer

2 tins brown lentils, drained and rinsed

1 tin diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth/stock (I add 1 tsp of veggie stock paste since I don’t use salt in my homemade chicken broth – omit this if using salted commercial chicken stock)

3-4 cups chopped baby spinach, or about 6 frozen chopped spinach cubes

Method:

1. Slice the “cheeks” from the capsicums, and lay them on a tray skin side up. Grill under high heat until the skin blisters and blackens. Remove from tray and place in a plastic bag to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook chorizo in a frying pan over medium heat with olive oil until crispy. Then add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened.
3. Add spices and chilli if using, and cook until fragrant.
4. Add lentils, tomatoes and stock.
5. Peel skin from capsicums and cut flesh into strips. Stir through lentil and tomato mixture. Season with salt to taste.
6. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow flavours to develop.
7. Finally, stir through spinach and allow to warm through.

Note: As an alternative to grilling and peeling the capsicums, you could use store-bought grilled capsicum. I buy the Always Fresh brand whole red peppers. I like to keep a jar of these in the pantry for this dish or to use on pizzas, in salads, omelettes, etc.

Enjoy!