LENTIL, PEA AND ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

     Getting ready for summer is a never ending struggle for me, as I am one of those people who leave it at the last minute. I always have an idea about what I want to do and look for tickets, possible accommodation options and what the food situation is in the destination, but I have a hard time deciding on it. A very important factor on making plans for vacations are your companions. Are your companion/s ready to make a commitment? Are they adventurous or like to keep it safe? Numerous determinants and factors contribute to your ideal and final choice of destination.

     However, next month might find me in the middle of Italy, savouring a big slice of pizza or eating two scoops of Italian ice-cream. Visiting this county never gets old I have to admit and there is nothing like living the Roman Holiday à la Audrey Hepburn, don't you think? I will just have to do my little research of what to see and look for in Florence and Siena and then hope for a nice weather and delicious adventures ahead. 

     Summertime brings another flavour to our food. Gone are the heavy sauces and the cheesy dishes this time around. At least for me. I like letting my stomach to relax a little bit from digestion and eat dishes that are light, but tasty of course. Salads or roasted meet is a good choice for this season. But salads sometimes tend to be this boring mixture of tossed green vegetables accompanied by some equally boring dressing. No, no. Not the way to enjoy your meal. 

     When I was thinking of a proper salad to make, my mind came to lentil salad. Lentils are normally eaten in a soup with some feta for me and bread on the side. They are however a wonderful ingredient for a warm or later cold salad. This salad might need a little more effort than what you would give for a salad in other circumstances. That said it is a delicious dish I enjoyed making and eating, with a wonderful combination of ingredients and an amazing tahini dressing you won't stop eating.

Lentil, Pea and Roasted Cherry Tomato salad with Tahini Dressing

ingredients (for 2 to 4 people)

for the salad

1 cup uncooked brown lentils

2 cups frozen peas

2 gloves garlic

1 bunch of cherry tomatoes (with around 10 tomatoes)

olive oil

rosemary leaves

50 gr of good quality feta cheese

2 tablespoons pinecones 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

garnish: avocado slices

for the dressing

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)

1 tablespoon soya sauce

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 garlic powder

How do I make it?

1. Preheat oven to 170C for the cherry tomatoes. Prepare a baking pan with some baking sheet and place the bunch of cherry tomatoes on top. Sprinkle some olive oil generously on top and place the rosemary leaves on top of the tomatoes. Place the baking pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes for around 25 minutes or until they become soft and their juices start coming out.

2. Next, cook your lentils. Normally I cook the lentils with a ration of 1:2 in salted water (1 cup lentils, 2 cups water) and then when they have soaked the first amount of water I taste them to see if they need more water. You don't need too much water for this as they won't be part of a soup. So imagine you cook them as you would cooke your rice. Taste the lentils to check for firmness. We want them soft but not too mushy. 

3. Place some butter in a medium pan and in medium heat. Chop nicely the gloves of garlic and transfer them into the pan. When the garlic has turned slightly brown, pour inside the frozen peas and some salt. Mix through the cooking of the peas and pour some water inside if they start to stick on the pan. The peas need around 10 minutes of cooking, not too much since they were frozen and not fresh.

4. Now that you have all the ingredients ready, let's assemble the salad. In a mixing bowl mix together 1 1/2 cup of cooked lentils and the peas together. Pour inside the chopped cilantro, the pinecones and mix again. Take a big serving bowl, then carefully place the salad on the center of the bowl. Take the cherry tomatoes out of the oven or where you had them cooling off, and place them on top of the salad. Then, with your hands (wear gloves if you want to) crumble the feta cheese on top.

5. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and using a hand mixer or with a spoon, mix very well everything. You are aiming for a creamy dressing, so no lumps should be left. I used a mixed I have for making frothed milk or frappe coffee. When you're done pour the dressing on top of the salad you had assembled in the previous step. Place some avocado slices or anything else on top to garnish. 

LENTIL BURGERS WITH YOGHURT AND GARLIC SAUCE (TZATZIKI)

     It's true what they say, that there is no other place more comforting and safe than your the house you grew up in. I am back to my home town since the 1st of January and I am truly enjoying time here in familiar places and warmer climate. It was one of the best ideas to travel during New Year's I tell you. We were treated to bubbly wine, to a discent dinner and to some New Year's pie we make in Greece. I surprised my mum for her nameday and birthday and treated her (and myself) to a luxury spa experience the next day. It was so lovely...

     To start the new year, I realised I needed a change in perspective and habits. I am a hardcore habit person. I have a habit and I stick to it the hardest I can. Some habits can be good (like exercising or clean eating) and some others bad. This year I promised myself I will do my best to cook more, experiment more with plant-based recipes and create a plan for my future bakery shop. Hehe! You didn't expect the last one I might guess, but yes it is a little dream of mine I have at the back of my mind for the future.

   First recipe for 2017 is a plant-based one and quite a good one if I may say. I've never been a fan of substitutes or things that have a name of a particular food, but the ingredients are different. Like these lentil burgers. It is a known fact that burgers normally are made with meat. But these ones do not contain any kind of meat. And I tell you, they are delicious! I mean ok, they are not fatty in the way that meat is, but still they contain a lot of flavour and fill you up, as lentils are a good source of protein. Also, if you are in a food resolution you can start by making these lentil burgers next time you are thinking of "What the hell am I supposed to eat today?". 

     Recipe was inspired by the book "Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide", which has very beautiful recipes if you are trying to lower your animal based food intake and giving the plant-based foods a try. And before you go there and assume I turned myself into a vegan, I am telling you no. I did not. It just happens that sometimes I want to try something different for a change (and a healthy gut). This recipe was easy and doable for a rookie like me. Plus I felt full after it, something that rarely happens...

Lentil burgers with yoghurt and garlic sauce (tzatziki)

for the burgers

ingredients (for 4 burgers)

1 cup cooked lentils drained and cooled

1 small red onion chopped

1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs or oat flakes

2 large eggs (whisked)

2 tablesspoons parsley

1 tablespooon soy sauce

some pepper

olive oil for cooking

for tzatziki sauce

ingredients

1 cup greek yoghurt (drained)

1 medium cucumber grated

2 gloves of garlic mashed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

some salt and pepper (according to taste)

How do I make it?

1. In a bowl combine the cooked lentils, onion, parsley, breadcrumbs and the eggs. Mix all the ingredients nicely together. Take half of the mixture into a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes very smooth. Fold the smooth mixture into the remaining lentil mixtue and mix again. If your mixture is a bit liquid, add some oat flakes.

2. Heat a medium pan with some olive oil. Scoop 1/4 of mixture and shape into a medium patty (do the same for the rest of mixture). Add to pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes for each side until the burgers are golden brown and crisp.

3. Serve with tzatziki sauce (recipe below).

for the tzatziki sauce

1. Grate your cucumber and strain it using a stainer and some paper towel to get rid of the juices that come out of it. 

2. Put the yoghurt in a bowl and add the strained cucumber and vinegar. Mix in the olive oil and mashed garlic really well. 

3. With a spoon, taste for saltiness. Add some more if you like or some pepper.

4. Keep in fridge if not eating instantly.