Monday, June 09, 2008

lentil salad

This may sound a little plain, but it tastes good.

1/2 onion
4 cloves
Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a saucepan with
1 2/3 cups French green lentils
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Discard the onion and the bay leaf. Reserve the garlic cloves and chop finely. Combine the garlic with
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
Whisk together well (or put in a blender) and stir through the lentils. Then add
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
Stir well. Taste to see if you need additional seasonings or salt and pepper. Let stand for at least thirty minutes to let the flavors absorb and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Peace,
Milton

2 Comments:

Heidi Renee said...

hey milton - would this work with red lentils?? i have some and don't like the recipe i bought them for - and am looking to use them up?? i have no idea of the difference - they may be apples and oranges??

don't eat alone said...

Good question. The red ones cook faster and get softer more quickly as well. They also have a milder taste. Follow the cooking directions on the red lentil package and adjust the water accordingly. If they are midler, I might think about these changes to the recipe:

dice the onion and let it cook into the lentils
use 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves instead of the whole ones
add a little Tabasco or cayenne pepper to give it a little kick.

Let me know how it goes.

Peace,
Milton