Warm Lentil Salad

• 1/2 cup dried green lentils (“French” or “du Puy” green lentils) or black lentils. You can also use tinned lentils if you like.
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ red capsicum cut into thin slices or squares
• 1 carrot (medium or large) diced
• 2 cups diced vegetables (celeriac, celery, leek, zucchini, parsnip, sweet potato or pumpkin work well)

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon mustard (typically Dijon mustard, but any mustard will do)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (again any type – red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will do. These don’t have any alcohol in them because all the alcohol is converted to vinegar)
• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (any type will do, but make sure it’s extra virgin as that has the health benefits)
• (Optional) a pinch each (1/8 teaspoon) of pepper and/or salt (unless you are on a low salt diet) and/ or sugar. You can also add about 1 tsp of either finely chopped or grated shallot (golden shallot is great), or some chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, mint, or oregano.

1. If you’re using dried lentils, rinse them in cold water then drain. Put in a saucepan with  2 cups of cold water and bring to a boil. You don’t need to add salt to the water – this is said to make the lentils go hard.
2. Simmer lentils for 12 to 20 minutes until soft but still holding their shape and a bit of texture. You can take a couple out after 12 minutes to see how they are doing. If they are still a bit firm, cook for another few minutes and taste again. If they seem right, drain them and set aside.
3. Peel the onion, cut in half then cut up into smallish pieces.
4. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan on a moderate heat and add the onion. Don’t stir until it starts to sizzle, then stir and add a pinch of salt (unless you are on a low salt diet). This will help draw liquid out of the onion and cook it a bit more quickly.
5. Cook until the onion is starting to brown. If the heat is too high, the onion can start to burn and go black. This won’t ruin the recipe but will make the onion taste a little bitter.
6. Once the onion is browning, add the garlic and any extra herbs you want to use. Cook for a minutes until you smell the garlic cooking.
7. Add the rest of the veggies. Cook on a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the veggies soften. I like then to start to get some caramelised brown bits on their edges. How long this takes will depend on how hot the pan is and how much is in there.
8. Once the veggies are mostly cooked, add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes so that any oil in the pan is reddish and the veggies have some cooked tomato paste on them.
9. If you’re using tinned lentils, drain them and add to the veggies now.
10. Set the veggie mixture aside while you make the salad dressing.
11. Mix the mustard, vinegar and any pepper/ salt/ sugar using a fork or a whisk. You want to dissolve the mustard in the vinegar before adding the extra virgin olive oil. You can mix in a small bowl or put everything in a jar with a tight lid and shake.
12. Add in the oil and mix. Taste. If it’s too sour, try adding another tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. If its still not right, add another pinch (1/8 tsp) of sugar. Once it taste a creamy with some sourness and a little sweetness (if you like that in a salad dressing), it’s ready to use.
13. Mix the lentils and cooked vegetables with the salad dressing to taste.
14. Serve warm or at room temperature with a plain green salad (the salad dressing in the recipe can be used for both) along with some lamb from the barbecue, or with some tinned fish -another food that’s good for fatty liver disease that many people aren’t sure how to include in their diet!

TIPS