MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE LENTIL DISH
Hope you like this Middle Eastern style Lentil dish !
Roast chopped up butternut squash in the oven in a little bit of coconut oil – takes about 1 hour.
Cook 250g brown lentils in water/stock for approx 35 minutes. I checked mine after 30 minutes and they were still hard, checked again 35 minutes, but actually took 40 minutes until they were done. So keep checking as you don’t want them to be too hard, or turn to mush !
Make the dressing – juice of 1 large lemon, 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), 50 mls pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tbsp ground cumin and 1 clove garlic crushed. Mix together and leave whilst preparing the rest of the dish.
Saute 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes (sliced in half) with one bunch of spring onions (finely sliced) in a little EVOO until they are just softening.
Finely chop a big bunch of parsley, and take the seeds out of one pomegranate (very messy wear an apron). Crumble up some feta cheese.
Once the lentils are cooked, drain them and add them to the tomato and spring onion mixture. Pour in the dressing and let it soak into the lentil mixture. Put lentils on a large plate (or in your serving bowls) and cover with the chopped parsley, promegranate seeds, roast pumpkin and feta cheese.
Lentils are rich in fibre, both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre forms a gel like substance in your digestive system and traps bile, which contains cholesterol, and takes it out of your body. So lentils are a very good option for anyone trying to reduce their cholesterol levels.
Lentils are also high in Folate and Magnesium and a good source of B1, Zinc, Potassium and B6.
Lentils are a good source of Iron and Protein, so a very good food choice for vegetarians/vegans.
