It's Meatout Day. Go take a look at one of my favorite vegetarian blogs, What Do I Know?, where KathyF will take you through a look at living without meat for a day.I like meat, but I don't make it a huge part of my diet. If it seems like I write about meat a lot, it's just because I like to talk about the exciting meals I've experienced. I try to keep my meat consumption ethical, sustainable, blah-di-blah. And that usually means my meat meals are really special, so I talk about them.
But I'm super happy to eat vegetables, fruits and legumes. Milk products, too.
So today, I whipped up a beautiful lentil salad.
I had gone to my dentist this morning for the preliminary treatments prior to her applying my final crown... And she gave me a two-hour break while she crafted the porcelain beauty.
Well, I sped home and cooked up a pot of lentils, fast-fast. Lentils cook really quickly, without presoaking, so lunch was ready in no time.
I shaved some celery on the Benriner and lined two plates with that. I grated a carrot, and hacked up a handful of parsley leaves. Then I drained the lentils and tossed them into the carrots and parsley, along with salt, pepper, good olive oil (I used the delicious Verde from Sylverleaf) and good sherry vinegar. (Nothing from the allium family, because I was due back at the dentist's.)
It turned out to be a most delicious salad. A little warm, still, from the beans, and that was fun. Fast, tasty, and easy to chew with a compromised tooth.
Well, now the tooth is finished, and we are looking forward to our meatless supper of spaghetti, tomatoes and mushrooms. Toothsome!
I could get into this.
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21 comments:
Your lentils look far better than mine ever do- I must over cook them. I've purchased lentil seed and am going to try to grow them this summer- I'm excited.
This looks really good, although I can't imagine running home to eat between dentist visits!
Yum. Love lentils.
Question though? Do vodka and rum count as vegetarian fare? Because those make up a higher portion of my diet these days than meat does.
Love lentils....This dish looks great!
Yes, but -- but --
What happened to the corned beef report???
This really appeals to me. I've been in a total food rut, lately (not to mention my unwelcome kitchen visitor). (I hope he didn't eat all my lentils.)
I love lentils!!! Love em love em love em! I like to remind my Catholic friends, the name comes from abstaining meat during the lenten season... so I guess that makes this Lentil Season!
That looks very tasty.
I adore lentils. (Willa, good luck growing them: they come two lentils to a pod, and usually not too many pods, so there's a lot of work ahead of you. I think about that every time I have a pot. A lot of work went into them before they ever got to me.) I usually serve mine atop a bed of wilted spinach with a little crater of decent balsamic on top and a spoonful of creme fraiche on the side. Thanks for the meatout notice, Cookiecrumb; though it IS meatout every day around here.
Willa: These lentils might have been Lentils du Puy, the vaunted green French lentil. I know I bought some a while back, and they migrated to an unmarked container. They happen to have a really good texture; there's an "integrity" rather than a mushiness when you cook them. Plus, I cooked them "just so."
Wow. Growing your own beans. Good luck!!!
Dagny: Vodka and rum are SO vegetarian, you dummy. To you.
Chris: It's exciting, because you usually think of lentils as a winter soup meal... and here it's a fresh spring salad.
Kudzu: Oh. Well. See, it came out so *normal*! There was hardly anything to talk about. It was really good, and I think I will corn my own brisket from now on. Sammiches have been divine, and hash will probably happen tomorrow. Pictures, too, so maybe a blog post.
Tammy: Mouses don't like lentils.
Stacie: Ah! New information for me. Thank you.
Beccy: I reccomend it. So nourishing, and so fresh.
El: I adore you. I'll be cruising your blog for more meatless choices.
Another question. Actually the more important question. Is your dentist single? Because Persian men? If I could figure out how to spell that Eartha Kitt sound, you would see it here.
Dearest One,
Sorry I haven't left a comment in a while, but I've been reading, and laughing, and smiling, and loving all of your posts.
Whatta pile of tasty lentils! Sounds so healthy and delicious with all of those additions. And no allium? I am sure your dentist wouldn't mind the "potential" aroma of the allium friends. Can't wait to see the other meatless entrees that you cook up soon. :)
Haha, and the word verification is "wowgdp!" I think it means to say that since Bush has been the Prez, "Wow [the] GDP" of the U.S. has gone down like his I.Q.!
I love lentil salad, and this one looks so simple and tasty.
And you cook for lunch?
I've never outgrown the 'grab an apple and a yogurt' stage. Sometimes I sit down to eat it, does that count?
Oh goodie another idea for using lentils and so easy just up my street thank you
Dagny: The Persian was the guy who did my root canal. A specialist. My main dentist is a gorgeous Chinese woman. Don't know if Dr. Ebeid is single, but you could fake an emergency... R-r-r-awrrr!
PE: Hi, pal. Heck, I was wondering if it would bother the dentist terribly if I were to have a glass of wine with lunch! :D
Katie: I do cook, sometimes. Not having a job makes it easier. Plus, I really wanted those lentils that day.
ChrisB: Right! You're all set with your huge stash of lentils. This is a good choice for you, and you can improvise, of course.
Lovely looking lentil salad! great to see you guys today!
If you were going to buy a golf club, you wouldn't walk into a store and buy the first one you see, would you? Of course not; especially if you want to improve your golf game! You'll want to hold the club, take some practice swings, hit some balls if the store has a practice spot, and look at the price, of course. If you are considering buying running shoes, you need to go through a similar process and take the time to find the perfect shoe.
Great to see you too, Catherine. And your mum and your kids!
Shoe Stretchers: Who the heck are you?
I love lentil salads too. I make them alot in the summer; they are perfect for serving at room temperature with things from the grill, and taking to cookouts. And pretty much any kind of salad you can make with lentils is just as good with brown rice.
I too find that the smaller lentils hold up better in a salad, as long as you don't overcook them. I've gotten the Green Lentils from Le Puy at World Market (though they are mostly brownish), and also black lentils from Trader Joe's, which are even a teeny bit smaller than the Le Puys. All good, though!
I love red lentils, too, but can usually only find them in health food stores. They have such a beautiful color, and are very pretty in anything.
~ Peggasus, a lentil fan
Hi Peggasus: I used to be a total black (beluga) lentil snob. They are fun to eat! All small and roly-poly. But the flavor in this variety won me over. Now I'm an "unmarked jar" lentil snob, and there aren't many left in that jar. :D
Good article , you make some interesting points.
Dental Clinics Data
Can I seriously come over for lunch soon? ...... your recipe sounds so yummy.....
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