Lentils are cooked with onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. The lentils are then cooled and tossed with a lemon French dressing. May be served with hot or cold roast meats or ham. Plan ahead to refrigerate for 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups lentils
- Water
- 1 large onion stuck with 2 cloves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 medium carrot, cut into 2 pieces
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 2 pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Tomato wedges
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- .
- Lemon French Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
- 1 mashed garlic clove
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Put the lentils into a large saucepan. Add water to cover plus 3 inches. Bring to the boiling point and lower heat to very low. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and bay leaves. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy; they must retain their shape.Drain the lentils and remove the vegetables. Turn the lentils into a bowl while they are still hot. Add the http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/faqscallions.htm and the French dressing. Mix well. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Cool the lentils, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours to blend the flavors.
At serving time, drain off any excess dressing. Turn into a flat serving dish, garnish with the tomato wedges and sprinkle with the parsley.
Note: Any lentil dish should be well seasoned. Serve with hot or cold roast meats or ham.
Lemon French Dressing:
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir and mix well before using.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Recipe Source: Nika Hazelton's Way With Vegetables by Nika Hazelton (Castle Books)
Reprinted with permission.
