Dad's Cuisine

Lentil and coconut soup Great for cooler evenings, this comforting vegan lentil and coconut soup will warm you up, inside and out. We're about to enter our fifth week of lockdown, and we're now used to this new normal. Who knew there were so many hours in the day? We have so much time! I think the thing I've noticed the most is the amount of meals we get through. Usually - in what we now refer to as the olden days - we'd share one evening meal, gathered around the table hastily telling each other about our days' ups and downs. I'd often make dinner 24 hours in advance, so I could just chuck it into the oven to heat up - a great time saver when you're in a rush, but it does make the evenings stretch out.  I no longer start my days gulping down a quick coffee and nagging the kids to hurry up or they'll be late for school. Lunch is no longer a hasty sandwich at my desk. We can no longer have cheat nights and order a takeaway for dinner. Everything

A BIT ABOUT ONIONS Onions are used so often in cooking that their benefits are often overlooked, yet there's so much more to them than meets the (teary) eye! Onions are highly versatile root vegetables that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, low in calories, and bursting with flavour. What's not to love? As well as Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6 and sulphur, onions contain fibre and add flavour to dishes like curries, lasagne, soups, stews and everything in between.  Let's take a closer look at that most humble of kitchen staples: the onion. Cooking onions Onions come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The most common are yellow, white and red. Red onions are great for adding a touch of color to your dishes, and their mild flavour makes them an ideal addition to salads and dips. Chives, shallots and leeks are also part of the onion family, while spring onions have a lovely mild and sweet flavour. A great many people enjoy eating raw onions