Toasted Israeli Couscous and Parsley-Lemon Lentil Salad

Toasted Israeli Couscous and Parsley-Lemon Lentil Salad

Confession: I don’t think I ate many lentils until I became a dietitian. I always felt that there wasn’t much to them, but really, I just didn’t know what to do with them.

So why did I start eating lentils?

Lentils are an amazing source of CHEAP nutrition. In most cases, proteins are the most expensive part of a meal. Think about chicken thighs at around $3-5/lb or fresh fish at more than $10/lb. Sub in lentils every now and then for $1-2/lb dry (aka, the yield is ever cheaper when cooked) and the savings will add up. Plus, eating vegetarian sources of protein has an environmental benefit, but thats another story for another time.

Need to add some protein and fiber to your meal? Add lentils! Just 1/2 a cup of cooked lentils has 8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein.

Need a super flavorful side dish? Try this Toasted Israeli Couscous and Parsley-Lemon Lentil Salad.

This salad was so good! It was another “I really don’t want to go to the grocery store so I’ll use what’s in the fridge to put off shopping” kind of meal. In full disclosure, I did have to buy the parsley, but that was a quick walk up to the corner store near our apartment; why go to the grocery store tonight when you can put it off until tomorrow!

The flavors of this dish work really well together, in my humble opinion. If you want to make the salad vegan-friendly, try using nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese.

How do you like to cook lentils? Any favorite recipes?

Toasted Israeli Couscous and Parsley-Lemon Lentil Salad
Ingredients
1 cup dry lentils, cooked
1 cup dry Israeli couscous
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cup water or broth
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup parsley chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Cook lentils according to package. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat. Add couscous and saute in oil for about 5 minutes, or until couscous turns a golden color. Add about 1 1/4 cups of water or broth, according to couscous package directions, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until couscous is tender. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, olive oil, and parsley.
4. Add lentils and couscous to the bowl and toss well to combine. Add parmesan cheese and mix. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

Hearty Mushroom and Farro Risotto

I have a confession: I love risotto. It is creamy and hearty and warms you up on cold nights. What I don’t love about risotto? Standing by the stove constantly stirring. And stirring. It took me a bit of courage to make risotto for the first time because it seemed like so much work.

The constant stirring is necessary in a risotto to bring out the starch of arborio rice and create the creamy texture. It takes about 20 minutes of constant attention to make a traditional risotto. I made a risotto for the first time a few years ago and until now I’ve just dealt with all the stirring. Then I stumbled upon this recipe, stating that using farro instead of arborio rice removes the need to stir! Hurray! Farro does not release starch the same way rice does and therefore does not require constant stirring. Instead, the dish simmers on its own, only require occasional attention.

Have you seen or tried farro before? It is a whole grain, similar to rice, but with more protein and fiber. You can use farro in place of any dish calling for rice. Since it is a bit heartier and chewier than rice, it can be a great addition to salads have ahead of time, even with dressing. Farro is located in the grain section of the grocery store, near the rice. In this risotto, I used the 10-Minute Farro from Trader Joe’s, which decreased the time the dish needed to simmer from 50 to 30 minutes.

I paired this dish with roasted chicken and roasted parsnips and celeriac. I know my plate is pretty bland in color, but trust me, it was delicious together!

Celeriac is not the prettiest ingredient, agreed? I received celeriac in my CSA but I hadn’t had it before so I roasted it like I do all new veggies. I liked it, but I also couldn’t tell the difference between the celeriac and parsnips when they were roasted together. I’ll have to try them again separately!

Have you cooked farro or celeriac before? How do you like to prepare them?

Easy Mushroom Farro Risotto
Yield 4-6 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8oz portobella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 cups pearled farro
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warmed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about three minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir.
3. Once mushrooms are soft, add farro. Cook and stir another 2 minutes then add white wine.
4. Once all the wine has been absorbed, add 5 cups of stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until farro is tender and all the stock is absorbed. Make sure to stir the farro while it is simmering, every 5 minutes or so. If you run out of liquid before the farro is fully cooked, add more stock and continue to stir and simmer until tender.
5. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Serve and enjoy!