I make - Grilled sausage and puy lentils with porcini

I don't seem to get enough of the earthy flavor of porcini these days. It has become an indispensable ingredient to my current favorite tomato sauce. Tonight I tried it with lentils. What can I say? It has not let me down. The dish pairs perfectly with green beans braised in tomatoes.

Grilled sausage and puy lentils with porcini 

Serves for two and with leftover

- 1 cup of puy lentils, washed and drained
- 1 scant cup of loosely packed dried porcini, about 30 g
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 2-3 small carrots
- 3-4 ribs of celery
- 1 bunch of parsley, about a cupful (optional)
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- freshly boiled water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 links of sausages

Soak porcini in a cup of hot water for 30 minutes.

Chop carrots, celery, parsley finely with a sharp kitchen knife or in a food processor.

Heat butter and olive oil in a sauce pan. Fry gently the chopped vegetables for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and fry for another two minutes.

Strain the porcini mushroom and reserve the liquid. Add the porcini into the vegetable mix and cook for two minutes. Add in puy lentils, porcini soaking liquid (minus any bottom debris) and sufficient hot water to the pan. The lentils should submerge in water completely (the water level should be at least 1 cm above the lentils). Bring the pot to a lively boil. Then reduce the heat to a lowest setting to simmer the lentils for 40 minutes with a lid on.

Only salt the lentils until they are fully cooked.

Five minutes before lentils are ready, slice each sausage in the middle and flatten it on a separate hot grill pan. Grill the sausages until they are nicely golden. Put the sausages into the lentils and cook the whole mixture for another 10 minutes. Season as required.

Green beans braised in tomato garlic sauce 

Serves two

- 200-250g green beans, topped and tailed
- 2 new potatoes, quartered
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tin of crushed tomatoes (400g)
- 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves or 4 fresh ones
- salt and pepper to taste

Microwave green beans and potatoes each for four minutes. Alternatively, you could cook the vegetables in boiling water or by steaming. Leave the cooked vegetables aside while you prepare the tomato sauce.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a sauce pan. Fry the garlic for a few minutes until they turn golden on the edges. Tip in tomatoes and basil. Bring the pot to boil and reduce the heat to low to simmer the sauce uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add into the tomato sauce the green beans and potatoes. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Season with black pepper and salt.