A good start

Monday morning, and a whole new week ahead. So to get off to a good start, make a bowl of porridge with milk and honey. Porridge oats, are another thing found in the ethnic shops.

Then an easy peasy recipe for your weekday suppers, that is ideal for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

1 onion, finely chopped,
4 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
400 g of green lentils
200 ml red wine
400 g tinned tomatoes.

For the topping
1 kg potatoes
milk, salt and pepper,
butter

Fry the onion in a large saucepan, until soft and translucent. Add the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir well and add the carrots and the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the lentils. Season to taste with stock cubes, or salt and pepper. Stir together and simmer for another 10 minutes, adding some water if it seems to dry. It must be quite compact.
Adjust the seasoning the transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Boil the potatoes and then mash well with warm milk, butter and salt and pepper.
When the lentil mixture is cool, spoon the mashed potato over the top, to cover, make patterns with a fork. When cold, this can be covered and left in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for a month.

When ready to serve, put pieces of butter on the top and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, at 180 °C, until golden.

Lastly, some inspirational words, from John Wesley, for any of you starting the week with worries on your mind. He was walking one day, in the countryside, with a friend, who had confided in him that he was in great difficulty. This is the advice he gave.

"Do you know why that cow looks over that wall? I will tell you. She looks over the wall because she cannot see through it, and this is what you must do with your troubles- look over and above them."