Tag: green lentils

Butternut squash, lentil and rice salad

I made this for a meal with my daughters, and then made it again for a party, with variations, partly because I couldn’t remember what I did the first time. Essentially, it is a triple-decker salad with toppings and a dressing, so there are many ways you can play with the ingredients, flavours and textures. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • One butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded, cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • A pinch of chilli flakes, e.g. Aleppo pepper
  • 300g green lentils, such as puy lentils
  • 300g brown rice
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch of mint, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp toasted nuts, such as almonds, or walnuts, or pine-nuts
  • Green salad leaves, such as lettuce, rocket, baby spinach, nasturtiums
  • Dressing – 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • Salt and pepper
  • Non-vegan option – a pack of feta cheese

METHOD:

  • Set the oven to a high temperature, 200C
  • Mix the squash with olive oil, chilli flakes, ground pepper and a little salt. Put this into a large baking tray, and bake for around 30 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, soak the brown rice and the lentils for around 30 minutes in cold water, to hydrate a little, and to rinse off any extra starch. 
  • Drain the lentils and brown rice, and then cook in salted water for around 30 minutes. I mixed them together to reduce washing up, but ideally you should cook them separately as the rice might need a little longer than the lentils. Drain when cooked. You can add herbs to the water if you like, for example mint. 
  • Make the dressing. In a jar with a lid, mix together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, molasses and salt and pepper, and shake well. 
  • Assemble the salad:
    • Wash the salad leaves and make this the bottom layer. I like my lettuce very slightly salted, so you might want to try this yourself. 
    • Chop the red onion and mint and mix with the lentils and rice. Spread this over the salad leaves, leaving a border of leaves showing. 
    • Add the roasted butternut squash to the top, then sprinkle with the toasted nuts. 
    • Pour the well-shaken dressing over the top just before serving.

We had this at a barbeque and it went down very well. 

 

 

Lentil and walnut salad

So delicious. I made this for when I had invited colleagues and friends over, we had a buffet set up with lots of salads, this was the winner. I will be making it again for our community party later in the year. It is a Turkish recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 100g green lentils
  • 300g tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 60g red onion, finely sliced
  • 4 large spring onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp pul biber – chilli flakes
  • 60 g walnuts, finely chopped. You could use a food processer, you are aiming for the bits of nut to be about the size of a large lentil.
  • chopped herbs – could be a mixture of basil, parsley, dill, fennel, 
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • Salt and pepper
  • crisp lettuce leaves, to serve

METHOD:

  • Cook the lentils, boil them in water until tender but still firm. This takes around 20 minutes. When they are cooked, strain them and rinse them in icy water. Set them to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, combine the lentils, tomatoes, onion, spring onion, chilli powder, and walnuts. Mix in the chopped herbs.
  • In another bowl, mix the pomegranate molasses, tomato puree and iced water to make a sauce, and season with 1/2 tsp salt and grated black pepper. 
  • Mix the sauce into the salad, and serve on a bed of romaine lettuce leaves. 

Lou’s vegan chilli

My sister Louise made this for one of the meals at Christmas. It doesn’t cost much, can be used with tinned ingredients, and it is vegan and delicious. It also freezes well. There are various substitutions and variations that can be made, depending on what you have in the kitchen. As you vary the ingredients, you may find that the fluid quantities need adjusting, so keep an eye on it as it cooks and top up as required. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 cm of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped – vary quantity to taste
  • 1 tbsp chilli flakes, for example, pul biber – pick your favourite for heat, or add sriracha chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp cumin (ground, or whole seeds bashed in a pestle and mortar)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tins of tomatoes, chopped for preference
  • 300g green lentils, presoaked
  • 200g of starch grain, such as bulgar wheat, pearl barley, brown rice or buckwheat. Not couscous
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder, or 100g dark chocolate
  • 400g tin of beans, such as haricot beans, cannelini beans, navy beans, black-eyed beans. Alternatively, soak 300g dried beans overnight, and simmer for 45 minutes to cook. 
  • 1 to 2 litres of marigold stock or other stock
  • salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Use a very large pan. Heat the vegetable oil over a low heat, and cook the onion, garlic and ginger for ten minutes, until it is soft. 
  • Add the chilli, cumin and paprika, and cook for a further two minutes. 
  • Add 1 litre of stock and all of the other ingredients, and bring to a simmer. 
  • Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, topping up with stock as required. Stop when the lentils and grains are cooked. 
  • Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

  • Tortillas or wraps, with yoghurt
  • Spooned over corn chips, topped with grated cheese and grilled, served with guacamole and salsa
  • In a taco with all of the extra bits
  • In a sandwich with grated cheese, possibly toasted
  • With brown rice, sour cream and chopped tomatoes or a side serving of green vegetables. (which is what we had with Lou)