i have been waiting and waiting for the weather to turn so i can start cooking fall-like meals. today it was rainy and overcast, but still 72 degrees and muggy. but, i can't wait for this crazy weather to cool, so i persevered and made a cozy, cold weather meal for my clients. salmon with green lentils. so very good, so very healthy, and so very comforting. did you know that health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods? it's true...i read it on wikipedia! for some reason if wiki says so, i believe! lentils are also super inexpensive and have a ton of protein. so if you are a vegetarian (sorry), start eating lentils. this meal comes together in no time after all of your chopping and prep work is out of the way. start by adding boiling water to 1 cup of lentils and let sit for 15 minutes. next heat some olive oil in a saute pan, about 3 tablespoons or so. add 1 onion that has been diced, 2 leeks that have been diced, 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. only use the white and light green part of the leek. if you are not use to preparing leeks, you have to soak the leeks in water to get rid of all the dirt that are in the folds. i dice the leeks first and then soak in a bowl of water. if they are really dirty, you will be surprised with all of the dirt that falls to the bottom of the bowl. okay, anyway, saute the onion and leeks for 10 minutes until soft. next add 4 celery stalks, chopped, 3 carrots, chopped, one minced garlic clove, 1.5 cups of low sodium chicken stock, and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. then add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. for the salmon - add salt, pepper, and olive oil and cook in a cast iron skillet for 3 minutes per side on medium high heat. there you have it, a delicious and satisfying meal. you can find the original recipe here. gotta love ina!
