Lentil salad with roasted cauliflower and mushrooms

Lentil salad with roasted cauliflower and mushrooms

I think it was in France, last summer, when Nicolaas FINALLY agreed to eat lentils with me. It was  my 'one-can-of-lentils-a-day-period', which i somehow just get; those cravings for one particular ingrediënt. At the moment i am in my beet-carrot-pear-ginger-juice-period, which just feels awesome to start the day with. Followed by a cup of coffee of course. 

I still love lentils though. And somehow Nicolaas never did. He is a sucker for all kinds of beans, but lentils just didn't do it for him. Which utterly frustrated me of course, because i just didn't get how you could love beans, but refuse to like lentils. So of course, it became a matter of principle and whenever i asked him if he'd want some lentils - prepared in whatever way - he said no. 

You can imagine i just tried to make my lentil recipes better and tastier, until he couln't refuse any longer! Well, that day came in august 2012 on a majestic piece of land in France! I found a recipe with sweet red onions, fresh dill, tarragon, oil and wine vinegar. It was so good, he seriously grabbed it out of my hands. Pure and simple. It was the best! And since that day, i can make whatever lentil recipe i like, and share it with me sweet! It sounds like a fairy tale.

Here is another nice recipe for a lukewarm lentil salad with roasted cauliflower and mushrooms, fresh herbs and chili's. Originally form Happi-food magazine, it became one of my favorites too!

SEE THE WHOLE RECIPE

Ingrediënts

• 1/2 pound green lentils
• 1/2 liter of black tee 
• 1/2 tbsp masala curry powder
• 2 red chili peppers
• 1/2 cauliflower divided into florets
• 1 box of mushrooms 
• Some cornoil
• great hand full of cilantro leafs
• great hand full of fresh dill
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• Preheat the oven at 200C. / 400F. degrees.
• Bring to boil the black tee, lentils and masala curry powder.
• Cut 2 red peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Chop them and add half a pepper to the lentils. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Divide the cauliflower into florets and cut the mushrooms in half. Mix them with some cornoil, pepper and salt.
• Spread them on a baking dish and place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until they turn light brownish.
• Mix the roasted vegetables with the chpped peppers and cooked lentils and season with the fresh herbs, some cornoil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

Masala curry powder & green lentils

Cook the lentils in half a liter black tea, and half a tbsp of the curry powder

Remove the seeds from the peppers,

..and add half a pepper to the lentils. Cover with a lid and boil for 20 minutes.

Divide half a cauliflower into little florets.

Cut the mushrooms in half or in four, depending on their size.

Mix the veggies with some corn oil,

and spread them on a baking dish. Roast for about 15 minutes in the oven.

Until they get light brwon.

Handful of fresh dill,

and cilantro.

Mix everything together, add some cornoil and season with salt and pepper.

Great lunch!