Warm Lentil Salad on a Bed of Spinach
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Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for menu instructions |
Warm Lentil Salad on A Bed of Spinach Time: 30 minutes
1/3 cup lentils - I use the tiny green French ones - du Puy. You could use the larger brown lentils
but not the red ones.
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sliced celery, about 1 stalk
1/4 cup sliced red or green pepper, about 1/4 pepper
2 tbs snipped fresh chives or garlic chives
1 tbs snipped fresh oregano
3 - 4 oz (100gr) fresh spinach leaves
1 - 2 oz feta cheese
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup plain or Greek yogurt, 2oz (60gr)
1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
1 tbs olive oil, the good stuff
Rinse and pick through lentils (in case quality control missed the odd stone). Put in a small saucepan along with stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until done - about 20 minutes. Taste to determine when done properly. Drain any excess cooking liquid and put into a bowl. Thinly slice celery and add to lentils. Finely chop red pepper, add to lentil. Snip herbs, add to lentils. In a small bowl whisk together mustard, vinegar, soy sauce and yogurt. Add oil and whisk to combine. When lentils have cooled a bit (warm rather than hot) add mustard cream and mix well. Cube or crumble feta, add and toss gently. Prepare spinach if needed. Arrange spinach on two plates. Divide lentil salad and spoon on top pf spinach. Garnish with olives or cherry tomatoes if you have them. Serve.
Barbecued Shrimp (Prawns) Time: 15 minutes
shrimp, 12 oz cleaned (350 gr prawns, cleaned)
1 tbs paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs olive oil
Clean shrimp if they need it. Mix paprika, garlic and oil in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cook in grill pan on barbecue over indirect heat 5 - 10 minutes, just until they start to curl and turn opaque. Or sauté in a nonstick skillet for the same amount of time.
Grilled Herbed Polenta Time - Depends on what kind
of polenta you use - I use quick-cooking - because that is what I can get
and it takes me about 10 minutes plus cooling time and grilling time.
1 cup chicken stock or stock and water mixed
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup polenta
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 tbs fresh chives
1 tbs fresh oregano
1 more tbs olive oil
Bring stock and oil to boil in a small saucepan. Add polenta, whisking constantly - or it will have little volcanic eruptions spewing polenta all over your stove. Turn heat down and cook about 5 minutes (or whatever your package tells you), stirring constantly. You may have to switch to a wooden spoon. When done, stir in cheese, herbs and remove from heat. Pour into a small pie plate lined with plastic wrap (cling film, saran wrap...) or something that will give you a flat round of polenta about 3/4 inch (2cm) thick. I use a small, flat skillet with straight (vertical) sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Can be made hours ahead - I usually do it late afternoon/early evening. When ready to finish: cut polenta into 6 pie-shape pieces and brush both sides with oil and cook on barbecue using mesh grill pan for about 10 minutes or until brown on both sides - or fry in 1 tbs oil in non-stick skillet until golden on both sides - the purpose in both cases is to add flavor, color and heat - it is already cooked. Serve.
Note: If you can't make Polenta earlier in the day, don't cover it. Just allow to cool at room temperature, it only takes abut 20 minutes. Setting it in a bit of cold water helps. It just needs to be cool enough to hold its shape well.
Tomato and Green Olive Sauce Time: 10 minutes
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs fresh oregano
1 tbs freshly snipped chives
1/3 cup pitted green olives
1 can whole tomatoes, 15oz (450gr)
1 tbs olive oil
Mince shallot and garlic. Cut olives in half. Open and drain tomatoes. Roughly chop tomatoes. Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and herbs; heat through. Add olives, remove from heat and keep warm.
Note: The sauce is meant for the shrimp and the polenta.
Italian Green Beans with Shallots Time: 25 minutes
We get these wonderful, long, flat Italian beans this time of year. If you don't have them substitute regular green beans or frozen Italian Beans (Bird's Eye)
6 - 8 oz Italian flat beans
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 shallot
1 tbs olive oil
Chop shallot. Sauté shallot in oil in small skillet or saucepan. Top and tail beans (cut off the ends...). Cut beans into 1 1/2" (3.75cm) lengths. When shallots are tender add the beans and chicken stock. Cover and cook over medium heat just until beans are done, 10 - 15 minutes. Serve.
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Cooking schedule: 30 minutes for menu |
Open and drain tomatoes |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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