This lentil recipe lends itself well to a spoonful of warming spices at this time of year! Keep it veggie by all means, but if you have some ham scraps then stir them in too. Serve with a crisp salad and a good garlicky dressing! serves 4-6

• 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 sticks celery, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 tsp garam masala or any curry powder

• 200g red lentils

• 750ml vegetable or chicken stock

• 150g cheddar, grated

• 1 egg, beaten

• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs

• optional ham or bacon, finely chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion until soft. Add the spices, garlic, celery, carrot, and ham if using, and cook for another ten minutes or so.

2. Stir in the lentils and heat for a few minutes before adding most of the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils and carrot are cooked. Add more stock gradually - you want a fairly firm consistency.

3. Give everything a good stir, then add the egg and most of the cheese and stir again to mix it. Taste and season if required.

4. Place in a greased shallow dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake for about an hour at 180 degrees.

5. Serve with salad with a tangy dressing.

Cook’s notes

• Try cooking this with a chilli oil to add some extra pep.

• Leftovers are almost better!