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Writer's picture52Steps

Step 36 = Quorn, Lentil and Giant Couscous Bake.


- Serves 3 to 4 - Ready in 40 minutes -

Gather together…

1 tbsp rapeseed oil / olive oil.

2 onion, thinly sliced and diced (to save time day-to-day, I keep a big box of onions I've chopped ahead-of-time, in the freezer, so I throw in 4 handfuls of those).

500g Quorn chicken style pieces.

1 tsp curry powder.

½ tsp smoked paprika.

Pinch of ground black pepper.

600ml of just-boiled water.

1 stock cube or 2tsp 'Marigold Less Salt Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder' (available in bulk 1kg tubs).

1/2 cup (80g on scales) giant couscous, dried.

100g (approx 12) dried apricots, chopped finely with scissors.

250g tin of green lentils, drained (these are the same as the expensive 'Puy' lentils, just not grown in the Puy region).

Small bunch Coriander, chopped (I grow / buy herbs in bulk and then chop and freeze them, so they are ready to use quickly in recipes).

Serve with...

Pitta breads, toasted and halved (1 per person).

2 tbsp plain yoghurt per person.

Get cooking…

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C (180 C fan) or gas mark 6.

2. Gently heat the 1 tbsp of oil on the hob in a large, ovenproof, lidded dish.

3. With the lid on, gently soften the 2 chopped onions, the 500g of Quorn pieces and the spices (1 tsp of curry powder, 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika and a pinch of black pepper) for 5 minutes on the hob, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile boil a full kettle of water.

5. Into the dish on the hob, sieve the 2 tsp of dry stock powder (to avoid lumps) and then add 600ml of just-boiled water. Stir really well.

6. Add the 1/2 cup of dried giant couscous, the apricot pieces from 12 dried apricots and the 250g tin of (drained) green lentils to the dish. Heat it on the hob until it is boiling again, stirring often.

7. With the lid on, put it into the oven for 20 minutes.

8.After the cooking time, remove the dish from the oven and, IF NEEDED, boil rapidly on the hob for a couple of minutes, with the lid OFF, if the consistency is too fluid for your liking. Keep stirring often whilst boiling!

9. Add a handful of chopped Coriander, stir well and serve up with toasted, halved pitta breads and yoghurt.

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