Is it a salad? A grain bowl? A soup?
It’s all three. Before I make a big batch of something, I try to ask myself: am I going to still want to eat this tomorrow, and the day after, and then maybe even the day after that? I find the best way to confront that is to start with a base that can be made into multiple unique dishes. Have this the first day as a warm grain bowl, all on it’s own. The next day, make it into a lunch bowl, topped with roasted chicken and/or tons of roasted vegetables, drizzled with your favorite dressing or a nice scoop of Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Then, just when you’re getting sick of it, submerge in a bowl of warm hearty broth with a tick of fresh squeezed lemon, turmeric and extra black pepper.
Grounding Lentil and Grain Salad
1 cup Israeli cous cous, cooked in 1 ½ cups water - or grain of your choice
1 cup red lentils, cooked in 3 cups water - or lentils of your choice
7-8 mushrooms (use any variety from white to bella to shiitake)
Finely chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Turmeric
Garlic powder
Extra virgin olive oil
OPTIONAL: fresh rosemary, labne or plain thick yogurt, lemon juice
For this recipe, you can make do with whatever kinds of lentil and grains that you prefer, or have on hand in your pantry. The key is flexibility. If that’s the case, start by cooking whichever of the two that takes longer to cook, and cook according to package directions.
If you’re using red lentils and Israeli cous cous, start with the red lentils:
Rinse in a fine mesh strainer and then put in a pot with the water, a sprinkle of sea salt, 2 whole peeled garlic cloves and roughly ½ teaspoon turmeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender and liquid is cooked off, 15-20 minutes. Red lentils can get mushy, so make sure to monitor them and when they are tender, take off the heat. If your lentils are finished and there is still excess water in the pot, strain. Make sure to remove whole garlic cloves.
In the meantime, cook your cous cous. Bring water to a boil. Then add couscous and a pinch of salt. When the water starts boiling again, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Strain out any remaining liquid.
While your lentils and grains cook, cut mushrooms into thin slices. Heat cooking fat in a small pan. Add mushrooms and season to taste with salt, black pepper, a little garlic powder, and a sprig of fresh rosemary if you have on hand. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft and flavorful. Remove the whole rosemary.
When your lentils and grains are finished, turn heat off and combine in one pan. Gently fold in the mushrooms and adjust seasoning to taste. You can also opt to keep all of your ingredients separate - lentils, grains and mushrooms, and combine when serving to the ratio you prefer.
Serve warm and top with fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon and plain yogurt. After a few days, you can submerge all ingredients in broth for a fantastic soup.