Best Lentil Salad

Eva Sue-Wah-Sing, Certified Nutritional Practitioner,
Registered Holistic Practioner & Certified Chef

Guess what? I have officially opened our 2011 BBQ season. This weekend truly couldn’t have been more glorious. With Mr. Sun shining down on me, I went to pull out the good ol’ Barbie to have friends and family over for our first of many 2011 driveway get togethers. When I entertain outside, I keep it simple. Simple from top to bottom which means we eat off of good old fashioned paper plates serving simple but delicious, finger licking foods such as this best ever Lentil Salad. The flavours in this salad are simple but taste outstanding. It makes a great item to take for a picnic as you can prepare it ahead of time and it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The other reason I am head over heels for lentils is because of their amazing health benefits. The culinary enjoyment of lentils dates back to prehistoric times and they were used by the ancient Greeks for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Unlike other members of the legume family, lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking, so they are a relatively quick and easy way to add nutrient-rich legumes into your daily diet. Lentils’ rich concentration of dietary fiber and folate makes them an excellent choice for intestinal health. According to Dr. Neal Barnard, fiber rich foods have the ability to attach themselves to excess estrogens and other toxins that may be lingering in your intestinal tract and transport them out of the body. Lentils also contain polyphenolic phytonutrients and catechins which provide powerful antioxidant protection to cellular structures from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. So, by eating just one cup of this yummy lentil salad you will get 16 grams of fiber, 17 grams of protein and 7 mg of iron.

So here is the Best Lentil Salad:

Ingredients:

•  1 cup dried lentils 
•  1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half 
•  ¼ tsp. oregano 
•  cinnamon stick, or ¼ tsp. ground 
•  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 
•  ½ cup currants 
•  1 tbsp. rice vinegar 
•  2 tbsp. lemon juice 
•  1 tsp. lemon zest 
•  ½ tsp. ground cumin 
•  ¼ tsp. sea salt 
•  red pepper, diced 
•  cucumber, seeded, peeled, diced 
•  ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted 
•  3 tbsp. mint, chopped 
•  3 tbs. parsley, chopped
•  bay leaf

Preparations:

Combine the lentils, garlic, oregano, bay leaf and cinnamon stick in saucepan and cover with enough water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the lentils are tender. About 20 to 25 minutes.
Drain the lentils and discard the whole spices.

In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemons juice, lemon zest, cumin and salt together.
Toss in the lentils, pepper, cucumber, olives, mint, currants and parsley.

Combine, taste and add extra salt if needed.

To learn more about Eva, her consulting services and classes, visit www.insighthealth.ca