Field mushroom, Puy lentils casserole

Description:

Reminescing about the old days in London, i started browsing a cookery book (as one does) which I purchased at an excellent vegetarian restaurant situated below a church, in the heart of the city, aptly named : "The place below" 
and this recipe is taken from one of their books : "food from the place below" by Bill Sewel. just reading the recipe, i sort of knew it would be a hit, and it certainly was, and that is why i am eager to share it with you 

Ingredients:

• 250 mil red wine 
• 50 mil soya sauce 
• 450 mil of water 
• 225g Puy lentils 
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced 
• 50ml sun flower oil 
• 1.25kg field mushrooms peeled and thickly sliced (i actually used 0.75kg , but mixing some 150 gr od fresh shitake mushroom, 500 gr of brown mushroom and the rest in big champignon de paris ) (and i did not peel them ) 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 100gr cashew nuts 
• 1 bunch of thyme , leaves picked off the stalk , or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme 

Directions:

•  Put the wine , soya sauce , water and the lentils in a pot . bring to the boil, then simmer for 35 min  until the lentils are just tender 
•  In a large casserole , preferably heavy bottomed pot (just like me) sweat the garlic & onion in the oil until soft 
•  Add the mushroom and bay leaf (and the thyme if you are using dried one ) when the mushrooms are going soft, add the lentils with their cooking liquor and remove from the heat 
•  Whizz the cashew nuts in a blender with just a tiny bit of water so as to make a thick paste . 
• stir this paste into the casserole and re heat , check the seasoning and serve 
•  I served with a potato and celeriac purée 
• DELICIOOUUUUUS it really fells as if you are eating a meat stew ..; just better !!!