Lentil salad with lemon and herb dressing

I concocted this salad one day when I had a craving for lentils, yes, craving lentils is a thing. As an ex-vegetarian I used to eat a lot of lentils, but these days have forgotten about what a satisfying and delicious meal they can make!

What's fantastic about this meal is it's generally pretty user friendly, so it makes a great dish to take when you're not sure what people can or can't eat. And with daylight savings now with us, I'm anticipating many more impromptu BBQ's where I might need to whip this one up.

It's naturally gluten free and vegetarian, and can easily be made dairy free or vegan by removing the feta, or substituting for a dairy free alternative. More so, it's a hit with carnivores alike and tastes fantastic alongside a hunk of crispy skinned salmon (as I served it today) or a medium-rare fillet of steak.

Best of all, any leftovers keep well till tomorrow and will make a quick and filling lunch.

Ingredients (serves 4 - 6):

• 1 1/2 cups of green puy lentils
• 4 1/2 cups water
• juice of 1 large lemon (about 1/3 cup)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp finely slice fresh mint
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra
• 4 zucchini, halved lengthways and sliced on the diagonal
• 150 grams baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 red capsicum, finely diced
• 150 - 200 grams feta, crumbled (optional)

In a saucepan bring the lentils and water to the boil. Simmer gently, covered for 40 - 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the dressing. Combine chopped parsley and mint in a jar* with crushed garlic, lemon juice, and (at least) 4 tbsp of quality extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, screw on the lid and shake well. Leave the dressing to mingle with itself while your lentils cook and you prepare the zucchini.

Heat the extra tbsp of olive oil in a heavy saucepan, add the zucchini and cook turning occasionally for 5-10 minutes, till it is golden on the outside, and soft in the middle (This could also be done on the BBQ, simply half the zucchini, brush with oil and grill cut side down first, turning once. Slice once removed from the BBQ). Place in a large bowl

In the same pan add the washed spinach leaves, leave a little water on them as this will help them to steam as they fry. Once wilted remove to the bowl with the zucchini.

Soon the lentils will also be cooked. Drain well and add to the bowl with the vegetables and the diced capsicum. Give the jar of dressing a good shake and pour half of it over the lentils. Stir well and set aside for at least 10 - 15 minutes. If serving with steak or salmon, this is when you would start cooking the meat.

To serve, stir well before sprinkling over crumbled feta and pouring over the remaining dressing.

This salad is delicious warm or cold, and although it makes a meal on it's own, it is also a fantastic accompaniment to BBQ'd steak, or crispy skinned salmon fillets.

Served with crispy skinned salmon fillet

* I always keep an old jam jar on hand for this very purpose. It also means that if I'm taking a dish somewhere I can easily take the dressing with me, pre-prepared, to pour on just before serving.

Spring Risotto: Spinach Zucchini and Feta

Today is World Vegetarian Day! Hooray! So in honour of this, I thought I would share this tasty spring vegetable risotto, seasoned with oregano and lemon, and mixed with salty feta, it's the perfect meat free meal.


Risotto often gets a bad rep, running with the misconception that it's full of cream and 'unhealthy'. However, traditional risotto, often has little to no cream. The creamy texture however comes from the slow cooking of the starches in the rice, and a dollop of butter added at the end. A little butter never hurt anybody right? 


Each bowl of this risotto is packed with seasonal veggies and flavour. The lemon gives it a real zing, combined with the saltiness of the feta (or toasted almonds if dairy free). Best of all, it can all be whipped up in under 30 minutes, and uses a minimal amount of dishes. 

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 stalks of celery 
• 2 large zucchini 
• rind and juice of 2 lemon
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 cups of arborio risotto rice
• 4 - 6 cups of baby spinach leaves, washed
• 2 cups of vegetable stock - ensure vegetable stock is gluten free if necessary
• 3 cups of boiling water 
• 30 grams of butter
• 200 grams crumbled feta* - Swap for toasted almonds for a dairy free alternative, and replace butter with oil. 
• olive oil and lemon juice to serve

Combine the hot vegetable stock and 3 cups of hot water in a bowl or pot. 

On a low temperature, heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid, and gently saute the celery and zucchini for 3-6 minutes till softened. Add the lemon rind and oregano, cook, stirring for another minute. 

Add the rice to the pan with the juice from the lemon, stir over a low heat until the juice is absorbed and rice is translucent. 

Add half a cup of the stock and water mixture, continue stirring, and when most of the liquid is absorbed, add another half a cup full. 

Repeat this process until all of the water is in the pot - However, when you add the last amount, also add the baby spinach leaves. Cover with a lid and let the spinach wilt for a minute or two. Remove the lid and stir all of the spinach in, and continue stirring till most of the liquid is absorbed. 

Test a spoonful of rice, it should be al dente, still a little firm to the bite, but soft enough to eat. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring till melted through. 

Stir through 200 grams of crumbled feta and spoon into four bowls. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice.

* For a dairy free alternative swap the butter for coconut or olive oil, and replace the feta with 1/2 a cup of toasted chopped almonds sprinkled over the top. Alternatively if dairy is your thing, you could add 1/2 a cup of grated parmesan just before serving. 

Salmon and feta flan with peas

If you've been following my blog or recipe posts you'll notice salmon has been somewhat of a theme lately. Not to mention my assortment of sweet tarts and pies. This recipe combines the two: smoked salmon baked in a savoury pastry shell to make this delightful flan. 

Don't let the idea of making your own pastry put you off: it's actually ridiculously easy (especially with the use of a food processor - though it can be done by rubbing the butter and flour together with your fingertips), and truely impressive. Not to mention, it is a lot healthier than store bought flaky or short pastry. 

Pastry (Serves 6 - 8 as a light meal): 

• 1 1/4 c flour 
• 90 grams cold butter, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 - 6 tbsp chilled water

In a food processor, place the flour, salt and diced butter. Blitz on high till the butter is combined and it resembles breadcrumbs. 

Slowly add the iced water 1 tbsp at a time while the motor is running. The pastry will combine and become a soft sticky ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, or 180 degrees on fan bake. Grease a 22cm tart tin generously with butter, or line with greaseproof paper. 

After chilling, remove from the fridge and on a lightly floured bench or piece of greaseproof paper, roll the pastry to be about 4 cm wider in diameter than your flan or tart tin. Gently press your pastry into the tin and trim the edges. (See any of my other tart posts for tips and tricks with pastry). 

Filling:

• 4 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 green capsicum, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, covered in boiling water and drained
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 150 grams smoked salmon
• 100 grams feta
• 1/2 tsp dried dill

Beat eggs with milk and salt. In the prepared pastry shell sprinkle the capsicum and peas evenly. Lay salmon over this, and then crumbled feta and red onion. 

Pour egg mixture over the top and gently press filling to ensure it is mainly submerged. 

Sprinkle with dried dill and place in the hot oven for 20 minutes. 

After 20 minutes reduce the heat to 180 degrees celsius, or 160 degrees fan bake, and bake for another 20 minutes. Once filling is set (and has most likely puffed up) and the pastry is cooked (it will be coming away from the edges of the tin) remove from the oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool before slicing. 

Serve with dollops of your favourite chilli sauce.

Spinach and Feta Tart

As you might have seen I've made a lot of sweet tarts over the past year or so. However it's not often that I dabble with savoury tarts. Partly because I had yet to perfect the pastry. It needs to be buttery, crisp, but still taste wholesome. The addition of wholemeal flour and sunflower seeds in this pastry does just that. You could also sprinkle some toasted seeds over the top once it is cooked. 

This tart eats well warm straight from the oven, or cooled and packed for the lunchbox the next day. 

Ingredients (serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a snack):

• 1 cup of plain flour 
• 1 cup of wholemeal flour 
• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
• 120 grams butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk 
• 3 - 4 tbsp of cold water
• 4 - 5 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 200 grams spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese 
• 160 - 200 grams feta cheese
• 1 tsp each of salt and pepper 
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated or ground

In a food processor, combine the flours, salt and sunflower seeds. Blitz to chop the seeds. Add cubes of cold butter and mix on high until it resembles breadcrumbs. 

Add the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of water at a time, mixing until you have a soft dough. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently for a minute or two. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease a 30cm fluted tart tin, then prepare the filling. 

Place the spinach in a bowl and cover with boiling water for a minute. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture before roughly chopping. 

Put a small frying pan on a low heat and melt the butter and oil. Add the thyme and diced onion. Saute slowly, stirring often, for 10 minutes till the onions are soft, but not browned. Remove from the heat to cool. 

Break the eggs into a bowl with the milk, salt, pepper, and cottage cheese, and nutmeg, use a fork or whisk to beat well. Add the chopped spinach and cooled onion. Mix to combine. 

Roll the pastry and gently line the tart tin, pressing into the edges and trimming away the excess. 

Fill the pastry with the egg mixture, then crumble the feta evenly over the top, gently press it down into the filling with the back of a spoon. 

Bake in the hot oven for 50 minutes till the pastry is cooked and the filling is set. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before slicing and serving with your favourite chutney and a salad. 

Beetroot Risotto with Feta

Meat Free Monday has been a trend over the past few years, and is about reducing your carbon footprint and improving health. Either way, meat-less meals are pretty common in my house. For one thing it's also a little easier on the wallet, and best of all, you don't need to compromise on flavour. 

Though risotto is relatively quick and easy to prepare, it does require a lot of attention. Stirring at least every minute to make sure there's enough liquid and it's not catching on the bottom, so don't wander off. People often think that risotto is full of cream, but that creamy silky flavour actually comes from the knob of butter that is added right at the end and stirred through the al dente rice. 

Beetroot are ridiculously affordable at the moment, I got a bag of 6 for $1.49. This recipe uses roasted beetroot, so to make this most efficient prepare a day or two ahead. If you're using the oven for something else, simply pop the oiled and salted beetroot in the hot oven for an hour or so while it's already in use. Keep it simple and leave the skins on - they rub off easily once cooked. 


Ingredients (Serves 4): 

• 4 medium sized beetroot - tennis ball sized, or equivalent
• olive oil and salt, to roast
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice*
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 6 cups vegetable stock - chicken stock can be used, but it will no longer be vegetarian. 
• 1 handful of spinach or silverbeet, finely chopped
• 40 grams butter
• 180 grams feta 
• Fresh thyme and olive oil, to serve

Method

In advance, preferably sometime when the oven is already in use, roast the beetroot for 1 hour at 180 degrees celsius. Without peeling, simply place in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with oil, sprinkle salt, and place in the oven. Test with a sharp knife. Set aside to cool. Can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. 

Use your hands to gently peel the skins away from the cooked beetroot. Place three beetroot in a food processor, or blender, with 2 cups of stock, puree till smooth. Pour this mix into a medium sized saucepan, along with remaining stock, and turn on to a low heat. Dice the remaining beetroot into 2 cm cubes. 

In a large heavy based fry pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on a low to medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini. Sauté, stirring for 3 - 5 minutes till vegetables are softened. Add garlic and rice, continue stirring for another minute. Add the wine, and stir until nearly all evaporated, or absorbed. Then add a couple of ladles of the beetroot stock mixture. 

Stir, wait, add more liquid, repeat, is the process required to cook this. As the liquid absorbs, add another ladle. Keep stirring frequently. Once nearly all of the liquid is absorbed add the chopped spinach and remaining beetroot.

Test a spoonful of the rice, it should be al dente, cooked, but still a little firm in the middle, if so, remove from the heat, and stir through the butter. Season with salt and pepper if required - this will ultimately depend on how much salt was in the stock you used. Set aside for a minute while you get the feta out of the fridge and gather some bowls. 

Spoon the risotto into the bowls and crumble feta over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. 

*Arborio rice is an Italian short grain rice, specifically for risotto, or rice pudding. You could also use Carnaroli, Maratelli or a short grain white rice. This recipe can easily be halved or doubled, and leftovers are pretty tasty too. 

Beetroot Cake

If you're looking for more ideas with beetroot, try my beetroot chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. It's a great way to sneak in extra vegetables!

Taste the Rainbow

Taste the Rainbow: Turkey koftas with salad trio, feta and pita breads.

I love colourful food and this seemed like the perfect filling combo for a healthy midweek meal.
The 'rainbow' came from the salad trio, consisting of a shredded spinach, a beetroot slaw, plus a buckwheat and avocado salsa, combined with the healthy turkey koftas, feta and pita, this was a meal to delight all the senses. 












Turkey Koftas
300g turkey mince
1 onion
1 egg
1/4c fresh mint
1/2 breadcrumbs or polenta (for gluten free) 

Method
Peel and finely dice onion, mix all ingredients together. Shape into golf ball sized balls and place on a lined baking tray. Grill on high for 20-30 mins, turning once. 


Buckwheat & Avocado Salsa

1/2c buckwheat groats
1 avocado
1 tomato
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method
Soak groats in 1c of boiling water for at least 30mins. Rinse and repeat if required (they should be soft enough to eat, but still a little crunch and a subtle nutty flavour).
Dice avocado and tomato and fold through groats with lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper

Beetroot Slaw 
1 beetroot
2 carrots 
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method
In your food processor grate beetroot and carrots (you can use a hand grater, but it's messier). Lightly toast seeds in olive oil, stirring as they burn easily. 
Toss through grated beets and carrots with remaining ingredients. Set Aside. 


Shredded Spinach Salad
3 small bunches of spinach
1 tsp oil
squeeze of lemon juice

Method
Rinse in cold water, remove thick stalks and finely shred spinach. Toss through lemon and oil. 


Arrange all items on serving plates including diced feta and toasted pitas. Drizzle with more olive oil and dig in.