Author Notes
This meal was inspired by one of those nights where you are standing and staring, with the glow of the refrigerator light on your face, wondering what to make while consciously avoiding having to make a trip the grocery store. The previous night was Christmas, full of seasonal holiday indulgences, which meant dinner tonight should be something light and an attempt to clean out what I have left from the multitude of appetizer dishes I had made. The challenge was there was no left over meat, eggs, or cheese. To add to this, I was out of the pantry staples of rice and pasta. Just a scant cup of dried lentils and some vegetables were the given main ingredients. I searched for a common theme that would tie it together. In the corner of the refrigerator door was a jar of the remaining roasted tomatillo salsa we had from a farmer's market. Inspiration found, south of the border is where dinner was headed... —Cassandra
Ingredients
- Cumin Lentil Salad
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1 cup
french lentils
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2 cups
vegetable stock
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1 sprig
bay leaf
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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1/2
red onion, diced
-
1
bell pepper, diced
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1 cup
roasted corn
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1 tablespoon
cumin
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1 tablespoon
chili powder
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1 teaspoon
coriander
-
1 teaspoon
smoked paprika
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2 handfuls
arugula
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2 tablespoons
sour cream
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tomatillo salsa
- Cucumber Basil Guacamole
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1
cucumber, prefereably seedless, diced
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1 bunch
basil, finely chopped
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2
avocados, halved, pitted, and diced
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1 tablespoon
lemon zest
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1
lemon juice
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1/4 cup
pepitas, toasted
-
1 teaspoon
cayenne powder
-
salt and pepper
Directions
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Combine lentils, vegetable stock and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until lentils are just tender, about 25 minutes.
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Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and salt until onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 min. Then add the bell pepper and spices, stir and then cook for another 2 to 3 min. Add the roasted corn. Stir and turn off heat.
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Once the lentils are done, strain and remove the bay leaf. Add them to the sautéed vegetables.
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To plate, place a handful of the arugula down and top with the cumin lentil salad. Spoon the desired amount of tomatillo salsa and finish with a dollop of the sour cream.
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In a large mixing bowl, mash the diced avocados with a fork. Add the diced cucumber, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, and salt and pepper; stir to combine. Scoop mixture in to a serving bowl and top with the toasted pepitas and dust with the cayenne powder.
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