Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Red Lentil and Spinach Salad

I was contemplating what to have for dinner and I asked Nicole what she fancied (That's British talk, in other words what she wanted).  She told something light and preferable no meat.  So I scrounged through the pantry and fridge to see what I had.  Red lentils popped out at me and I picked them up figuring I could create something good with them.  I didn't have a problem eating a vegetarian dish because lentils contain high levels of proteins, dietary fiber, and minerals.  So my body still got it's protein and all the other healthy stuff in lentils. 

Red Lentil and Spinach Salad
1 cup red lentils
1 bag of spinach
1/4 red cabbage shredded
1 avocado sliced
1 red pepper cut into small chunks
1/2 onion diced
1-2 tomatoes quartered
2 beets cooked, cut into chunks
3 tbsp good balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp evoo
1 garlic clove minced



Rinse the lentils under cold water.  Place in a pot and add water until fully covered.  Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until tender and then drain (you don't want them mushy).  Place spinach, red cabbage, onions, lentils and red pepper in a bowl and toss.  Add on top the avocado, beets, and tomato.  In a separate bowl mix balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and garlic.  Pour on top of salad and serve.
As I ate this dish I was thinking what else could I add to make this even better.  Adding sliced boiled egg and crumbled feta cheese would be a great final touch. 
Nice healthy fresh crisp salad.  Enjoy!

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