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Versatile and easy to cook, lentils go great in salads and soups
Serve lentil salad or soup as an accompaniment to fish, or as a main with olives
When my mom chose lentils for our recipe cook-off…I can’t say I was thrilled. While I know they come in many colours, it’s not something I cook often. So I was excited to get experimenting. In the end, I came up with a tasty Lebanese-inspired salad that plays on the salty-sweet and savoury-refreshing combinations. (Big thanks to my tasters!) Helen went traditional and made a Greek favourite: faki or lentil soup. Great for the mind, body and soul! Hope you enjoy.
Ingredients
Instructions
Makes 4-6 servings.
*When it comes to olive oil, we use Golden Olive Eleni® certified organic olive oil. It’s not only high in nutritional value, but offers any dish great taste! ** I used Pacific Foods organic chicken broth. You can also use vegetable stock or just water. If using water, make sure to add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp of salt. *** Place the lentils on a flat surface (or on a tea towel). Spread thin and look out for small rocks. Rinse lentils if desired but do not soak them; unlike dried beans, they don’t need much time to cook. **** Squeeze out the excess water from the zucchini with your hands or in a colander. ***** This recipe makes about ½ cup of this spice mix. Add more to the recipe if desired. Can use the remaining spice mix to season meat, fish or vegetables.
*Tip: Nothing’s worse than tiny stones in your faki! Make sure to clean your lentils well before cooking. Lay them out on a flat surface and check for tiny rocks.
Excerpt from From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil cookbook (page 69). Published by Arsenal Pulp Press.
Images by Anastasia Koutalianos
Helen Koutalianos is the President and owner of Basil Olive Oil Products. Along with her husband Basil, she imports quality food products from Greece, including their award-winning Golden Olive Eleni® certified organic extra virgin olive oil. She is a director for the Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association, and co-author of the cookbook From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil. Helen is also a former Greek cooking instructor and food columnist for the Maple Ridge Times.
Anastasia is the director and founder of NADATODO.COM: an online event calendar and promotions/publicity hub. She also reviews theatre and live performance; her write-ups are featured on various blogs and websites, including www.bclifestyle.ca and www.cjsf.ca. Anastasia hosts her own A&E review/music/talk radio show, @nadatodo, every other Sunday from 5-6PM on CJSF 90.1FM. Along with her mother, she co-wrote the cookbook From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil. blog | twitter