mediterranean lentil salad

More inspiration from Sarah Kirkconnell with my take on one of her lentil salads.

Simmering the salad

Ingredients

50g dried brown lentils
20g sun dried vegetable mix
1/2 tsp dried lemon powder
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation notes

The lemon powder was made by thinly slicing three unwaxed lemons with a mandolin and drying on the dehydrator. The brittle slices were then powdered in a pestle and mortar. I dried the lentils (a can of ready cooked from Tesco's) at the same time. The sun dried vegetable mix is from Morrisons and I used a pair of scissors to cut the veg into smaller pieces.

Cooking

Simply add the dried ingredients to a pan and cover with boiling water and stir. You now have the option to simmer the mix or place the pan in a cosy. Either way leave until the water has been absorbed (five or so minutes). Add the olive oil and season to taste and stir.

Additions or variations

This dish is greatly enhanced by the addition of garlic, I added some crushed fresh garlic after first tasting the dish. I need to source some salt free dried garlic granules that can be added to mix before bagging up (or dry some crushed fresh garlic). Cumin is a worthy addition that acts as a foil to the lemon. And lastly, add 50g of cooked dried rice or quinoa to make a complete meal (you'd need to adjust the amount of water added if you do this). The above quantity makes enough for lunch for one.