Warming winter goodies

 I made dal. I feel like this is very late in lockdown to start on dal, but I got distracted by Liz's marvellous puys for my lentil needs before. And I'm also subject to Lentil Fear, the terror of making something for pennies that's unimpeachably healthy but which billows into meals for a fortnight of drudge lunches. 

But this is good. It's a makhani dal, so full to the brim with gentle spices and butter, which removes both the unimpeachable healthiness and the fear of it lasting too long. I could definitely have done another meal if there had been leftovers. 

Green lentils cooked with cinnamon, cardamom and similar. Onions fried with garlic and butter and such.

Mix them together with tomato puree (yes I have stocked up again) and yoghurt. It is brown, but it is excellent.

 Which is all very lovely. But I've managed to make an infinite amount of orangey gloop soup today. It's meant to do 3-4 meals. I feel like it'll be with me for some months. Even the interesting bits of the recipe don't make up for that.

 Sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and onions, roasted.

Then added to garlic and spices (cumin, cinnamon, cayenne).

Then... evaporated milk. Because, sure, why not? And stock. And blitzing it and cooking slowly for 30 minutes and...

Gloop.

It tastes okayish. You gussy up with sherry vinegar, yoghurt and pepper on serving, and as the supermarket was out of coriander in small packets I have a pack the size of my arm to use this week, which I'm sure will go fine. I will let you know if it's still with me next weekend.

And finally... winter specials are in. I didn't buy any "bloody oranges" advertised at the poshest deli's outdoor stall on my walk this morning. But I did get 3 Sevilles in the coriander-less supermarket.

I am not much for homemade marmalade, and my freezer is too full of bread, milk and peas to do Stef's recommended ice cream. She also recommends vodka, which obviously I considered...

But instead, I tried a swap for the extremely lush lemon and bay posset as celebrated here in May. This time, bitter orange and anise.

Believe me, this smelled glorious. 

Since May, I have acquired more ramekins, too, so slightly less of a mismatch. Thank you Cote at Home delivery, and wherever the black one came from:

It's extremely pretty. On the edge of over-bitter, because Sevilles are scary. But the cream smoothes it out dangerously, and the anise is great. I recommend it to you.