Lentils, Quinoa and soya chunks salad



Salad without parsley

Salad ingredients

  Ingredients:

• 20 or more soya chunks
• 1 small onion few
• 3 twigs of fresh thyme
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 lemon
• 1 glass of precooked quinoa
• 1 glass of precooked lentils
• A small bunch of flat parsley (optional)
• Olive oil  3 spoons
• Salt

Method:

Soak the soya chunks in a bowl with salt and boiling water. Make sure there is enough water to cover the chunks. Cover the bowl and leave the chunks to rehydrate for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes squeeze out the water and cut the chunks in smaller pieces… 2 to 3 pieces per chunk perhaps?

Cut the onion and fry into 2 spoons of olive oil with the twigs of thyme. Fry for 2 minutes and then add the cut soya chunks with one spoon of water. Simmer fry until the water dries and the chunk start browning and become crispy. The purpose of this is so that the soya chunks absorb the flavours from the onion and thyme.

Remove the chunks from the pan and set aside.

Now cut the tomato in small pieces, grate the lemon to obtain zest and squeeze the juice.

In a salad bowl, pour your lentils, the quinoa, the fried onion and soya chunks, the tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt and the chopped parsley. Drizzle the last spoonful of olive oil. Mix well and leave in the fridge to cool.

This dish is best served on its own very cold. Do prepare some additional lemon quarters for serving is needed.

Serving suggestion wit parsley

This would be great for brunch and for the pack lunch.

Enjoy

Pulse Party for 2

Proportions here are for 2 portions 

For this colourful pulses salad we need the following:

½ Chick peas tin

100grs of green lentil (preferably dry) – or half a tin

100grs black kidney beans (preferably dry) – or half a tin

 1 small tin sweet corn

Toasted sesame seeds (1 table spoon)

 Sundried tomato (5 pieces)

Orange sweet pepper (optional)

Salt & ground thyme

2 Table spoons of garlic flavoured olive oil. You will get this if you buy a jar of garlic in Olive oil

If you are thinking of making this dish, it is best to use dried bean & lentils. This is just because they remain firm after cooking compared to the tinned beans for example. And they maintain their colour, plus it works out cheaper on the quantity purchased. And you just cook the quantity you need for the dish that you are making.

If using dry beans and lentils start by soaking them for 12 hours or more… What? Tasty stuff takes time so get on with it! After soaking rinse them out. Put them to boil in salty water for about 30 minutes minimum. When cooked to your taste. Drain and leave aside.

Open the tin of sweet corn, and half a tin of chick peas, rind them out under running water.

Take the sundries tomato slices and cut them as small as the beans be about the size of the beans.

Roast the sesame seeds until slightly brown.

Now all you have to do is mix all the above in a bowl, with a pinch of salt and grounded thyme.

once served, drizzle on it the of garlic flavoured olive oil.  A squeeze of lemon work well in place of olive oil too.

Et voila!

This can be served with fresh baguette or rice cake like mine.

Bon Appétit



Mustardy Lentils soup

 Mustardy Lentils soup - Soup served with hard baguette.

Ingredients:

1 onion, 5 garlic cloves

4 medium potatoes

300 grams of lentils – preferably dry

Two chilli peppers

1 stock cube

Mustard oil & black Pepper

Part cooked baguette

Roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds or poppy seeds

For the lentils:

If using dry lentils, soak them for 20 minutes and bring them to boil with a pinch of salt for another 20. Rinse and drain. Put aside.

For the hard baguette:

Buy a part cooked baguette from any supermarket, cook in the oven following instructions on the package. Slice and leave it to dry and harden or an hour before using for the soup. It could be cooked in the morning and used in the evening. You will find the part cooked baguettes in the bread aisle in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose or Morrison’s.

Cooking the soup:

Heat 2 table spoons of mustard oil in a cooking pan

Throw in a twig of thyme, chopped onion and garlic.

Add the peeled and cut potatoes, fry until really brown. This will add to the flavour of the soup.

Once the potatoes are brown on all sides, add the lentils, stock, water and chilli peppers. Cover the pot and leave to cook until the potatoes are completely cooked and nearly mushy. Add a bit of black pepper if necessary. Then blend to taste; smooth or with bits. It is ready to serve. 

Once the soup is in the bowl, top with a drizzle of mustard oil and a dust of poppy seed… I just love the way that poppy seeds crush under the tooth…

Yeah! I changed my mind about the seeds.

For best taste, It is better to dunk the bread... uhmmmmm the rush... mouth watering thinking of it again.

Bon appétit!

Nash!