HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY!

Once the hot weather is with us, we begin to crave lighter fare and ice cold thirst quenching drinks to go with.  I for one begin to get experimental with healthy salads.  Sometimes they don't even include lettuce.  I love salads such as cherry tomato salad with feta cheese and fresh basil, carrot salad with pineapple and golden raisins and healthy cole slaws too (and some unhealthy ones...such as my Blue Cheese Cole Slaw post earlier this year)

Today I share with you a very healthy recipe I created from a salad I ate often, many years ago in Los Angeles at a food chain called Koo Ka Roo Chicken...I think they still exist?  I loved their chilled lentil and cucumber salad.  I have changed it a great deal but lentils and cuke's are still the main ingredients.  This dish pairs well with so many things; you could grab a rotisserie chicken at your local market, you could serve it with a fresh crusty loaf of rustic bread and butter and fine wine, you could serve it with humus, greek olives and pita bread...the list is endless, once you try this salad you can decide what you want to serve it next to...

Zesty Lentil Cuke Salad

3 large cucumbers - peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 roma tomatoes - cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 green onions - finely chopped

2 cloves garlic rough chopped

2 cloves garlic - put thru a garlic press

1 cup green lentils

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 small onion - finely chopped

2 tsp sumac powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh flat leafed italian parsley - finely chopped

1 tbsp dried crumbled mint

1 tbsp cumin powder

3 fresh limes

1 large lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Place the Lentils into a pot of water (water should be twice as high as lentils)

Add the bay leaves, the chopped garlic cloves and the small chopped onion

to the water - I add some MSG free chicken stock paste..about 1 heaping tablespoon

Cook the lentils over high heat just till boiling point is reached, then lower heat to medium low for 45 minutes uncovered.  Check for doneness...lentils should have a slight firmness to them...(you don't want them to get mushy)

Strain lentils in a mesh strainer, discard the bay leaves but do not rinse

Allow the lentils to cool to room temperature

In a large bowl add the chopped cucumber, tomato and green onion

Using a garlic press, press the two remaining cloves of garlic into the bowl

Add the dried mint and the chopped parsley and mix well

Place into refrigerator to chill till the lentils cool

The Dressing

Juice the lemon and the limes into a pouring cup

add two tsp of sumac powder

2 tsp of Ume Plum Vinegar

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

With a wire whisk, mix the above together while drizzling the 1/4 cup olive

into the cup.

Once emulsified, add to salad mixture and mix well.

Refrigerate for several hours, making sure to remix the mixture a few more times...the dressing quickly settles on the bottom of the bowl

Zesty Zesty healthy salad eatins to you!

robert