2 boneless salmon filets, about 6 oz each
1 lemon, zested, then halved
1 lime, zested, then halved
1 orange, zested, then halved
2 Tbsp cilantro, divided, finely chopped
1 cup French green lentils
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
5 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add lentils. Cook until soft but still slightly firm in the center, about 20-25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut two large pieces of parchment into a heart shape and place one piece of salmon on the right half of each heart.
3. Squeeze about a tablespoon each of lemon, lime, and orange juice over the salmon and season with salt, pepper and the lemon, lime and orange zest. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cilantro over salmon (reserving the other tablespoon for the lentils) along with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil per fillet.
4. Fold empty parchment half over the salmon. Starting at the top of the heart, crimp edges with small, overlapping folds to seal package tightly. If you can't secure the end closed tight enough, use a paperclip. Place packets on a baking sheet and then into the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how you like your salmon (I like a 10-12 minute salmon, which is about medium).
5. While the salmon cooks, drain the lentils and whisk together the mustard, olive oil, vinegar and the remaining cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the lentils, tossing to combine. Add green onions and toss to combine.
6. When the salmon is done, remove it from the oven and serve still in its paper container, or remove to a plate along with any accumulated juices. Serve with warm lentil salad and enjoy!
-Laura
But the truth about lentils is that they're not nearly as fussy as many cookbooks would have you believe. The old adage that lentils must soak overnight in order to render them edible is completely false and often leads to mushy results. The overarching mother-of-all-lentil-myths however is that they need any help at all to cook relatively quickly. Many recipes suggest a cooking time of 45+ minutes which is absolutely ridiculous. Provided they are cooked properly (with plenty of water and a in a nice large pot to swim in), lentils should take no more than 30 minutes of cooking time, max. And don't even get me started on those delicious French green lentils. With their compact shape and gorgeous slate coloring, they cook up in 20-25 minutes, even in large batches. They hold their shape well and have a wonderful toothsome quality that make them perfect for any type of dish.
Knowing that the whole soaking-then-overcooking business is a sham, I've always had several varieties of lentils on hand in case of emergency. Because they're packed with iron and fiber, lentils provide great heart healthy energy and make a wonderful substitute for protein. I like a big bowl of lentil salad before evening exercise (like a late-night volleyball game) for that extra bit of energy that won't weigh me down. They're also great for folks like myself that are anemic and need all the extra iron they can get, but who don't want a steak for dinner every night.
As a kid I longed for visits to Spain and my grandmother's kitchen where the best lentil soup lived. True to the Spanish way of doing things it was chock full of smoked paprika, both the sweet and spicy variety, along with heaps of garlic, chunks of potato, chorizo and Spanish iberico ham. Like Goldilocks I've spent my adult days searching for the lentil soup that's "just right" but the truth is they're all too watery, too thick or just plain wrong. Not one of them holds a candle to hers, all of them lacking in either flavor or texture. So one night as I found my fridge empty of proteins and brimming with vegetables and bacon, I decided to challenge myself to recreating the soup at home. After all, why should I expect to find it anywhere else?
After a little noodling around with ingredients I managed to make it work. While I didn't have any chorizo on hand I still managed to capture the essence of the soup, including the spot on consistency. I used a neat little trick for thickening that you should definitely try if you'd like an alternative to a fatty (albeit delicious) roux. A mere tablespoon of breadcrumbs toasted in a few drops of olive oil will do the trick just as well, and without all that flour and butter. It's my favorite way to thicken soups and stews, and can even help with seasoning if your soup is a little bland (simply use seasoned breadcrumbs instead of plain). So I encourage everyone out there that's dubious about lentils to please give them a shot. Try buying smaller lentils like the French green variety that cook quickly and have a thinner skin. Despite being a tiny bit more costly than large brown lentils (which can be as cheap as 99 cents for a pound) they're still a relative bargain. I buy several pounds in bulk for less than 5 bucks and they last forever. This soup is a great introduction, and makes for unbelievable leftovers.
Spanish-Style Lentil Soup
1-1/2 cup French green lentils (or other small lentil)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste)
3 small carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp smoked sweet paprika (pimentón)
1/2 Tbsp smoked hot paprika (pimentón picante)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 dried bay leaf
1 Tbsp breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Garnish: chopped parsley (optional)
1. Cook bacon in a large soup pot until crispy and browned. Remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain. Add onion, garlic and carrots to the pot along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium-low heat until softened (not browned), then remove pot from heat and allow the mixture a few minutes to cool (this is necessary so the paprika doesn't burn--do not skip this step).
2. Add both types of paprika and the cumin to the pot and cook over low heat for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add stock, lentils, tomato puree, and the bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook covered about 15 minutes (the lentils will only be half cooked), then add the potatoes. Cover and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until lentils are done and potatoes are tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat breadcrumbs and the remaining teaspoon olive oil in a small non-stick skillet and toast breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Once the lentils are done, add breadcrumbs to the soup and stir to combine. Allow the mixture 5 minutes to cook together and thicken, and served topped with fresh chopped parsley and crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!
-Laura
As I alluded in an earlier blog, I spent the week prior to Christmas working on an exciting photo shoot that I can't wait to share with you all. Although it kept me busy and on my feet--one whole day of shopping, prepping and cooking plus another day of cooking and styling on set--it was also inspiring in countless ways despite all the work involved. The recipes I styled were tailored towards the winter season so it was nice to actually work with the foods and vegetables that are currently in stores and at the market (often times publications shoot stories with a lead time of 2-4 months, so working in relative "real time" is a rarity). One dish I worked on utilized salmon, a protein that I am sad to say I do not cook nearly enough of these days despite how incredibly good it is for you (in addition to being delicious). I've been so focused on vegetables as of late that my once meaty ways have appeared to be a thing of the past. But I do still love my proteins, and it's nice to be reminded once in a while of how good some can actually be for you.
Once I was reminded of how tasty salmon was, the undeniable health facts came flooding to mind: it's packed with omega-3 fatty acids (especially the wild varieties) which are healthy, unsaturated fats that are great for your heart and even better for your skin and hair. The American Heart Association recommends eating these "fatty" fish (and others like mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna) at least twice a week, especially as a replacement for proteins packed with saturated fats. Unfortunately for all of us, the mercury levels found in some fish have deterred people like me, who used to eat fish 1-2 times a week from continuing to do so. I've instead turned to lean cuts of pork (remember when it was "the other white meat"?) and mountains of protein-rich grains like quinoa, but I'd like to once again give fish the old college try. The truth is that fish like salmon are filling and meaty without feeling heavy, and healthy preparations like oven roasting, poaching and steaming are often the way they're most delicious (try steaming that rib-eye and tell me how it tastes).
A healthy and filling portion of salmon generally weighs in at 6 ounces, which initially didn't sound like much to me, but after researching in several supermarkets and cookbooks it became clear that 6 ounces was plenty when served with a side of, well...pretty much anything. In fact, most supermarkets will get you by packaging one piece that's twice as large (and thus twice as expensive), and selling it to you as one portion. I've found that getting your portions cut at your fish counter is usually a better bet than getting the pre-packed pieces in the refrigerator case. Not only can you dictate the portion size, but you can often verify that a piece you see cut from a whole fish has not been previously frozen. Some higher-end markets like Whole Foods even have special deals on "healthy" portions of certain types of fish, which are worth taking advantage of, especially if you're only cooking for one.
Once I had salmon on the brain I knew exactly what to serve with it. I love the classic French pairing of salmon over lentils (talk about a health wallop), and there just happened to be enough French green lentils leftover from my photo shoot to round out the meal. These are small, dark lentils, which I really like because you can cook them fairly quickly (about 30 minutes) without having to let them soak in water overnight like larger lentils or dried beans. While they cooked I melted some butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet and added the salmon, skin side down. Once it was browned I flipped it over and cooked it on the other side until the fish was medium and still slightly pink in the very center (which is my personal salmon preference). Then I removed it to a plate, lowered the heat and added the tiniest splash of white wine and the juice of 1 lemon. I let the mixture cook down a minute or two, then added one pat of butter, a little parsley and pulled it off the flame. While the salmon rested for a minute I sauteed the cooked lentils in olive oil with green onions, shallot, salt and pepper, then finished with a tiny splash of red wine vinegar. I plated the lentils with the salmon on top and a nice little arugula salad on the side. It was a perfectly filling meal which despite my lemon-butter sauce, I would consider relatively healthy and certainly affordable. I'll bet you could even entertain with this meal and only spend about $15 total for four people. Here's my final recipe.
Lemon-Butter Salmon with Lentils
(4) 6 oz portions of boneless salmon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley, divided
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cups french green lentils
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 small shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
1. Add lentils to a large pot with 2 tablespoons of salt and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil and cook until done (soft but not mushy--I prefer mine a bit al dente), stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin side down (if all four pieces don't fit, do it in batches to avoid crowding the pan). Cook until crispy and flip to cook on the other side to your desired doneness is achieved. Remove salmon to a plate to rest.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the wine, allowing it a minute or two for the alcohol to cook off. Then add the lemon juice and allow the sauce to thicken and reduce slightly. Finish with the last tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of parsley.
4. Add shallot, green onion and extra virgin olive oil to a non-stick skillet and cook on medium low heat for 30 seconds. Add lentils and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and fresh black pepper as necessary. Remove pan from heat, add vinegar, toss to combine and plate with salmon, drizzling salmon with lemon butter sauce. Enjoy!
-Laura
Have you ever been convinced that you could make something better than someone else? I faced this problem earlier in the week when I convinced myself that even though I've never once had a decent lentil salad, I could make a great one. I mean, I make great lentils, and I make great salad. So, great lentil salad should only be a small leap away, n'est pas? Evidently, I miscalculated the difficulty level of lentil salad. It took a good three rounds of recipe testing for me to come even close to something just north of mediocre.
Okay, let me put this into perspective a bit. Lentils are one of my all time favorite foods, and I eat them almost all year long. Over the summer, I decided that there had to be some cooling way to eat lentils in the hot summer months, so I enthusiastically set out to find a great lentil salad. It soon became clear that there was no great lentil salad out there, so I set forth to make my own. I initially thought that if I kept it simple by adding a few of my favorite veggies and some oil and vinegar I'd be golden. This turned out to be pretty bland and not at all appetizing. Then I thought if I cooked the lentils in a bit of stock, that I'd be adding enough flavor to pep them up. I was wrong.
As always, it took my adding a Spanish twist to really make them pop. I decided to cook the lentils with my favorite veggies in some olive oil with chorizo and a garlic clove. It made sense that this method would work, since both chorizo, garlic, and the paprika in chorizo are flavors in the Spanish style lentil soups and stews that I love. For the dressing I decided to do something a little different from my usual oil and vinegar, and go with a more French style dressing. One of the things that I loved about eating in Paris was that every single bistro, cafe and restaurant had the most amazing dressings and vinaigrettes on their salads. It was always really clean and flavorful, and usually tasted of olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. So I went with that combination and added in a pinch of cumin for added smokiness. Cumin is also often found in many Mediterranean and middle eastern lentil preparations that I love, so I thought it would match up nicely.
It all worked out pretty well, and the resulting lentil salad was good, but not mind blowing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since there's probably a reason I haven't heard the words "lentil salad" and "sublime" in the same sentence. I suppose the next time I could try adding something truly sublime like lardo, but I think instead I'll just pair it with something great. I made up such a big helping of the lentil salad that I ate the whole thing myself as an entrée, which I think was a mistake. If I'd paired it with a nice grilled fish, some sautéed shrimp, or even a small steak, I think I would have been thrilled with the results, so I guess I'll just have to make it all over again and report back! Here's how to go about making it if you want to try for yourself:
Warm Lentil Salad With Chorizo
Lentils
16 oz cooked lentils (I used canned but feel free to make them yourself)
1 chorizo sausage, diced
4 stalks asparagus, blanched and chopped
1 large carrot, diced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 1/2 Tbsp water
salt
pepper
Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 large lemon (or 1 1/2 small lemons)
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground cumin
olive oil
salt
pepper
1. In a medium sized pan, sauté chorizo, garlic and carrot in olive oil until just browned. Add asparagus, salt and pepper and cook another minute.
2. Add lentils and water and cook until water has evaporated and the mixture is warmed through. Add more salt and pepper if necessary, keeping in mind that you'll be adding the dressing later.
3. Move lentils to a clean dish and allow them to cool slightly in the fridge.
4. Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, Dijon mustard and cumin in a bowl while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. When the lentils have cooled so they're just slightly warm, combine them with the dressing and serve. Enjoy!
-Laura
