Southwestern Chopped Salad

Southwestern Chopped Salad
(use organic ingredients)

Large head of Romaine 15 oz.
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Optional: avocado

Dressing

1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions

Making the dressing: puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Making the salad: Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.Toss with desired dressing.

Source:  The Garden Grazer

Red Split Lentils

Red Split Lentils are by far the quickest to cook of the lentil family. They need no pre-soaking unlike many legumes and as they are split (the skins removed so they split naturally into two halves), they cook very quickly.

With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp. Proteins include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine. Red Lentils also contain folate, vitamin B1, minerals and dietary fibre.

How do I prepare Red Split Lentils

First wash and inspect the dry lentils. Simply pop them in a sieve under running water and check them for any debris/other grains and make sure they’re rinsed and clean.

Pop them in a pan with water or broth (use 1 1/2 cups of water/broth to 1 cup of lentils). You can add flavourings such as herbs, garlic or onions but DON’T USE SALT. This toughens them if added at the beginning of cooking.

Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer. Stir them now and again to prevent sticking to the pan.

Cooking time depends on whether you want them for salads, a thick puree or turn into mush. Around 15 minutes will start to turn them into a puree, 25 minutes you’ll have mush. Cook them for around 10-15 minutes if you want to use them in a salad, you want a tender but firm texture and for them to still hold their shape.

The easiest way is to check on your lentils as you cook them. Cooking times vary wildly depending on how large the pan, how cold the water and simply the size of lentils themselves. Simply have a taste at around 10 minutes and judge the cooking time accordingly.

Source:  Real Foods 

The above is for a just Red Lentils, which may be added to other dishes.  If cooking Red Lentils within another recipe such as a curry or dal, then more water will be required.   See these recipes for example: 3 Ways to Cook Red Lentils