As in all “my” recipes, the quantities are a bit ropey, but you don’t need to be exact with this one, even if you’re a scaredy cook you’ll still be able to produce lovely, steaming pot full of delicious stew! This takes about 45 minutes, and I always make a big pot, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days and you can also freeze portions.

2 cups of lentils (I used two different types, little green ones and big brown ones)
1 cup of (brown) rice (any sort)
1 can of beans (any sort)
1 tin of tomatoes (chopped)
4 tbsp olive oil
1-2 onions, chopped
stock cube (I usually just dump in the stock cube and add water as I go instead of making up the stock first) water, added slowly during the cooking process.
2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
3-4 juniper berries
3-4 cloves
1-2 tbsp paprika
1-2 tbsp vinegar (I use cider, but any sort will do)
some garlic if you like, salt and pepper.

Add tin of tomatoes, stock cube (you may need 2, depending on quantity, but you can always add the second one later if you need it), rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves, rice and lentils. Add a bit of water. Stir.

Put the lid on and simmer for half an hour, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add more water as you go, but don’t let it get too “soupy”.

After it has simmered for about half an hour, add the vinegar. (Watch it! too much vinegar is the only thing which can possibly ruin this! Start by adding 1 tbsp, then do a quick taste-test.) Add the can of beans (drained) and the paprika. Cook for another 15 minutes – this is the time to boil excess water off or add a bit more, depending on how you like it. Before serving, you can try to pick out the bay leaves, cloves and juniper berries. (I said try! You’ll never find them all!!!) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now, I like to do my vegetables separately, but you can add them during cooking. I find that if I put them in and cook them with the rest, and store it in the fridge, the veggies lose their crunch.

This recipe can be modified in lots of ways. For example, instead of rice, you can use millet or quinoa. But, as these have a shorter cooking time than rice, add them after about 20 minutes or so. Tofu is another good ingredient. I made this stew yesterday with quinoa, and it turned out absolutely delicious. Also, try adding a bit of cayenne pepper or chilli powder for a more fiery version.

This recipe was contributed by Simone from the Radiant Recovery Community Forum.