Some Cooking

Made this last night for a couple days of eating, but we ended up inhaling half in one sitting. I used brown rice and just cooked it in the pot and then in the oven a little longer, really good. Lucky for us our new neighborhood has plenty of queso fresco on hand.





I also made this lentil and beet salad but I need to be better about tracking where I grab these recipes from, because I'm again unable to credit. The salad is great, I added olives forgetting there were already capers so mine is a bit salty. But, I'll take it.

French Lentil, Golden Beet Salad
serves 4-6
1 1/2 cup French Puy Lentils, rinsed and picked over (removing any teeny rocks or debris)
3 cups water
4 beets, roughly chopped
1 head raddichio, roughly chopped
handful of fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley and basil), chopped
1 generous glug olive oil
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup capers
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons nice, potent mustard
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  In a large roasting pan, spread the beets evenly and toss in a little olive oil.  Cook for about 15 minutes.  Add lentils and 3 cups of water, cover with foil and return to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until lentils are done.  In the meantime, make the vinaigrette.  In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon, capers, shallots, mustard, honey, salt and pepper and fresh herbs.  Set aside.

When lentils are done, dress with vinaigrette, sprinkle herbs and radicchio, and stir to incorporate.  Season with salt and pepper, adjusting acid and oils to your taste.

This salad is better the next day, when flavors have fully melded, but is delicious eaten straight away.  Serve with crackers, great bread or another green salad.  Enjoy.