Mini treats and mega lentils...

At work, we have a steady stream of people coming to do work experience. We especially like the ones who take note of the fact that we're all obsessed with biscuits and cakes and bring us treats on their last day. So thank you to Lauren for our gorgeous selection of miniature things - we had mini bakewell tarts, mini lemon meringue pies and mini banoffee pies! And they all disappeared by 4pm.



After all that indulgence (I'm telling myself that four - yes, four - mini pies equal one ordinary Mr Kipling bakewell...) I definitely needed something virtuously healthy for dinner. My friend Leonie went to Zanzibar a few months ago and she gave me a bag of incredible spices for my birthday. I'm not sure what's in the spice blend but I can definitely smell cinnamon, cumin and something like cloves or star anise. The label on the bag advised making a spiced rice dish, but I decided to use lentils. It was ridiculously simple - I just fried some onions, added garlic and the spices and carried on frying everything for a bit, and then added a tin of green lentils and about half a cup of water. After it had bubbled away for a few minutes I chucked in loads of baby spinach and I let it cook while I pan-fried a salmon fillet. Strangely enough I'd never pan-fried fish before - I'd always been worried about making the whole flat smell fishy - but I lit a scented candle and went for it, and I'm so glad I did! I love those crispy golden bits of salmon. It was one of the nicest things I've made in ages, and something I'll definitely add to the 'food to cook for guests' list!