Hearty Chorizo Sausage Stew

It's been freezing in Canada in the last few weeks.  This recipe is guaranteed to warm you up!

Hearty Chorizo Sausage Stew

-4 Chorizo Sausage casing removed
-2 onions chopped
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 cup of red lentils cooked
-2 carrots peeled and chopped
-1-2 turnips or 1 small rutabaga
-1 small sweet potato chopped
-2 potatoes chopped
-1 cup of cooked grain (quinoa, brown rice etc)
-3-4 cups of broth (veg, beef, or chicken)
-1 teaspoon thyme
-1 teaspoon oregano
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook sausage meat until almost completely cooked, drain fat and add onions and garlic.  While the sausage is cooking in a small pot cook (washed) 1 cup of red lentils with 2 cups of water on medium heat, takes about 20 minutes, I always remove the froth off the cooking lentils.   Once the onions are cooked, add the broth, lentils, carrots, turnip, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and let simmer.  When the root veggies are cooked all the way through, add the whole grain you have precooked, (I added brown rice as it was left overs) and spices.  Allow to simmer on low for about 30 minutes.  The grain will absorb some fluid making it thick.