I hope you had an enjoyable Easter weekend. No complaints here! As predicted, warm weather finally arrived in the Bay Area, and so I took numerous walks around the neighborhood to soak up the sunshine. But that’s not all.
After binge-watching the latest episodes of Love Is Blind, I …
- Worked on a fun project for Cal-Organic Farms (Stay tuned for next week’s post!)
- Had lunch with the family to celebrate my grandpa’s 107th birthday
- Prepared this kale and lentil salad to eat during the workweek as the mélange allegedly “just keeps getting better” with time
It was the perfect mix of relaxing and productive activities – and, for the moment, my cup is full.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
Kale and Lentil Salad
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- ⅔ pound lacinato kale, ribs removed and leaves cut crosswise into ¼"-thick pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more, to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced and separated into light and dark parts
- 1 lemon, 3 1"-wide strips zest and juice, divided
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup pitted green olives, like Castelvetrano or Frescatrano, torn into ½" pieces
- 5 ounces Feta cheese crumbles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the kale and ½ teaspoon salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In a small sauce pan, combine the garlic, light parts of green onions, lemon zest and olive oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add hazelnuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cumin seeds and chili flakes; stir to combine. Strain hazelnut mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside on paper towels to drain; reserve oil. Season hazelnut mixture with salt and set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add lentils and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Transfer to bowl with kale.
- Add olives, Feta cheese, dark parts of green onions, lemon juice and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to bowl with kale and lentils. Drizzle with reserved cooking oil and toss gently to combine. Season with additional salt to taste. Top with prepared hazelnut mixture.
