This is my confession: I have lunch issues. For real. I never know what to eat. Breakfast is simple and dinner is fun – but what exactly should one eat for the midday meal? I don't like eating out, and especially not on the run, so I always try to pack something. But at best, these brown bag provisions are uninspired. At worst, totally unappetizing. A few pieces of fruit, a halfhearted sandwich. Yawn. The utter boredom leads to not eating. And then, later on, scarfing down fistfuls of whatever candy is on offer at the office.
So you can imagine my delight when I found a truly stupendous lentil salad dressing recipe over at one of my fave blogs.
At first, the dressing seemed overly complicated (9 spices, really?) but it turned out to be easy peasy to whip up. When I tasted it, I had a bit of a Eureka moment. The dressing is intensely flavourful, with just the right amount of heat. And so this lentil salad has swiftly become a standby. What I like most is how much you can vary the recipe. Sometimes I scatter the seasoned lentils over mesclun, other times aruglula. I add some roasted red peppers, goat cheese or parsley. Sometimes I just eat the lentils plain, with a side of cut veggies. The options are endless. All that's required is a jar of this delicious dressing in the fridge and some lentils on hand, and viola!, goodbye lunchtime doldrums.
Lovely lentil salad
Adapted from My New Roots
1 cup of green lentils (or, better yet, fancy French Du Puy lentils)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Rinse lentils. Fill a pot with water, bring to a boil. Boil lentils for approximately 20 minutes or until al dante. Drain.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
3. Toss the lentils with the dressing, to taste. (Store leftover dressing in fridge; will last a few days).
4. Serve the lentils over greens of your choosing. Add whatever else you like. Smile as people in your lunchroom admire your gourmet handiwork.
