Emilys Purloined Beet And Lentil Salad Food

LENTIL SALAD WITH BEETS AND BACON

Steps:

• Chop about two-thirds of the bacon into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside. Wrap the thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth; tie closed with kitchen twine. Combine the cheesecloth bundle, the remaining slab bacon, the lentils and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, discarding the cheesecloth bundle and bacon; let cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the chopped bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and just crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
• Make the dressing: Whisk the mustard and vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Toss the beets with about 1 tablespoon of the dressing in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble the salad: Add the lettuce, endive, shallot, parsley, chives and the prepared lentils and bacon to the bowl with the dressing; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss. Top each serving with some beets.

EMILY'S PURLOINED BEET AND LENTIL SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place whole beets into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish; strew with onion slices, basil leaves, crushed garlic. Drizzle with olive oil; salt, pepper. Add water to pan.
• Cover pan tightly with foil, bake without uncovering, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• While beets are roasting, place lentils in another 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with 4 cups of the stock, tightly covered with foil. After the beets have cooked for 45 minutes, place lentils in oven. Check lentils after 30 minutes. If stock has been absorbed and lentils are tender, remove with beets. Otherwise, continue to cook another 15 minutes or so, adding more broth if necessary to prevent lentils from burning.
• Allow beets and lentils to cool, uncovered. (Drain any excess broth from lentils if necessary) Remove beets from pan, reserving remaining beet-juice-onion-basil mixture. Peel, cut into 1-inch chunks; combine with lentils and juice-onion-basil mixture in a large bowl. Toss with about half jar of Simple mustard Vinaigrette, more or less to taste. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
• To make vinaigrette: In a jar, stir together 8 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper. Place the lid on the jar, and shake vigorously, until emulsified.

LENTIL SALAD WITH BABY BEETS & FETA

Steps:

• Bring the water, lentils & bay leaf to boil in a medium saucepan, reduce heat & simmer until tender, approx 25 minutes.
• Drain & remove bay leaf.
• Combine olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic & salt & pepper, pour over lentils and lightly toss.
• Toss the dressed lentils together with the onion, beets, parsley & coriander.
• Top with crumbled feta.

LENTIL SALAD WITH BEETS AND GINGER

Steps:

• Place lentils in a heavy saucepan, cover with cold water to a depth of one inch, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the lentils and set aside, covered.
• While the lentils are cooking, cut the beet tops down to within an inch of the bulbs. Place the beets in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, peel and dice the beets, discarding the stems and roots.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the ginger. Saute for a minute or so, then pour this oil over the drained lentils. Add the diced beets and fold them in.
• Beat the mustard and vinegar together and pour over the salad. Fold all the ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

BEET AND LENTIL SALAD WITH CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Prepare the salad: In a medium pot, add the lentils, garlic and 4 cups water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until just tender. (The lentils should still have some bite). Drain in a colander and stir to break up and evenly distribute the garlic. Let the lentils cool slightly.
• While the lentils cook, prepare the vinaigrette: In a large serving bowl, whisk the garlic, vinegar, oil, maple syrup and mustard with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• Add the warm lentils to the serving bowl, then add the arugula, herbs and beets. Season with salt and black pepper and toss. Add the Cheddar and toss gently, but don't overdo it because you don't want the cheese to turn crimson from the beets. To serve, top with hazelnuts.