The lentils to cure your lurgy

The dreaded winter lurgy arrived in our household the other week, and while Adam has now got past the worst of his aches and sniffles, I’m still struggling.

There’s nothing worse than feeling less than 100 per cent, particularly when it feels like the world around you is currently operating at 120 per cent.

Although I often go off my food when I’m poorly, I know how important it is to keep on fuelling my body so it can fight off the nasties inside.

And that’s where my lentils come to the rescue…

I stumbled across the recipe for Lentilles au Vin Blanc years ago, while reading Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris. At that stage I’d never really eaten a huge amount of lentils, but there was something about the recipe that was intriguing.  I gave the dish a go and it quickly became a favourite of mine.  Adam’s also become quite partial to it and it now features on our dinner menu a few times a month.

It’s warm, hearty and although it sounds like an odd combination, I’d urge you to give it a go – it just works.

INGREDIENTS:

• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• One carrot, roughly chopped
• One medium onion, roughly chopped
• Two and a half cups of Puy (French) lentils
• Six cups of chicken broth (I’ve used both chicken stock or vegetable stock)
• One can of diced tomatoes
• One cup of dry white wine
• Handful of parsley, chopped
• One bay leaf
• Ground pepper to taste
• Sour cream
• Chopped coriander
• Limes

METHOD:

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and carrot and sauté until the onion is translucent.

Add the lentils and stir so that they’re coated with oil.  Add the broth/stock, tomatoes, wine, parsley, bay leaf, and a generous grinding of pepper.  Leave to simmer over low heat with the lid ajar, until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (around 45 minutes- one hour).

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, fresh coriander (Adam omits this, as he hates coriander) and a lime for squeezing over the top.

Grilled cheese on toast is an excellent accompaniment.

I was thrilled to find a container of these lentils in the freezer when I was having a particularly rough day.  I made myself a little nest on the lounge, tucked in and then curled up and napped the afternoon away.

I’m hopeful I’ll start to kick this cold of mine over the next few days.  Early nights and gallons of honey and lemon and tea are also helping.

What’s your home remedy for fighting winter ills?

Have a wonderful weekend. x