When the Mood Strikes

Just a quick post (yes, I said quick, believe it or not) to share a recipe and some photos of the fruits of my labor during a recent Indian kick in my kitchen.

It all started with black lentils. Over the winter holidays I discovered black lentils at the West Side Market in Cleveland. I'd never seen them before, and being intrigued and curious as usual, I went home with a bag. They've been burning a hole in my kitchen cabinet ever since, until yesterday when I decided to get them out for some much needed vegetarian protein. At least once a week I get a craving for some fabulous non-meat protein source, usually beans or lentils or tofu. My body doesn't love meat anymore, it loves fiber. Therefore...it was lentil time.

After perusing some black lentil recipes on-line, I decided to just boil the little buggers up and toss them with some sauteed Swiss chard and cauliflower. It wasn't until later, as I was perusing my DVD collection for something to entertain myself for the five minutes it takes me to eat alone in my living room, that I saw the case for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Instantly, no joke, I heard the soundtrack playing in the back of my mind and remembered driving around Athens, Ohio on a hot, sweaty summer day with the windows down, playing "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. and "Jai Ho," as loud as my car speakers would handle. That is a fond memory for me, and suddenly my black lentils turned from plain to generously, lovingly spiced with coriander, cumin, mace, allspice, cardamom, and turmeric. Add that to a pot of boiling potatoes, drained and tossed into curry powder that had been warming in olive oil and my house soon smelled like Mumbai. Okay, not really, because I've never been there and while I'd love to think that all of India constantly smells of curry and cinnamon, I know I am wrong in that fantasy.

Dancing gleefully to the Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack this evening, I took my pseudo-Indian feast from last night and turned it into something only about a thousand times better tonight. Being a fairly strict locavore, my body, mind and soul have been longing, pining, almost painfully missing fresh fruits and vegetables. One can only eat exclusively apples and turnips for so long. Therefore, I decided to cheat today. I think we all deserve a little cheat now and then. I stopped into Kroger in Marietta after work and picked up an organic, fair-trade mango, a bag of organic carrots, a box of organic mint, a bag of sweet, crunchy red grapes, and a bottle of Major Grey's Mango Chutney. I was going to India tonight in my little duplex set deep in Southeast Ohio, mark my words.

What became of these contraband items was a salad I'd readily make again. In fact, if I wasn't stuffed to my brim, I'd make another right now. I impressed myself with the flavor combination, and I only wish I had an army to cook for, so that I could share it with loved ones and friends. It was simple, healthy, and most of all, bursting with bright, zesty flavors that were reminiscent of spring, heat, humidity, summer, passion and fondness. Enjoy.

Queen Honeybea's
Mad Love for Lentils Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:

A large bag of mixed salad greens (probably two good handfuls per serving)
A handful of micro greens per serving
2 large carrots, shredded
1 red onion, finely slivered
4 tomatoes, cut into eighths
A handful of red, seedless grapes per serving, halved
1/2 cup golden raisins, divided into 4 servings
2 large, ripe fair trade, organic mangoes, peeled and chunked
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, divided into 4 servings
2 cups cooked brown basmati rice (1 cup uncooked)
1 TBS. olive oil
1 TBS. rice wine vinegar
pinch of salt
4 cups prepared lentils of your choice (mine were black, cooked with spiced sauteed chard and cauliflower)
One recipe of prepared chutney-yogurt dressing (recipe follows)
A dollop of mango chutney per serving
Ground cinnamon
4 large whole-wheat pitas, warmed in the oven

To make said deliciousness:

On four plates, divide the salad greens equally for a good serving of salad per person. Top each serving evenly with micro greens, carrots, onion, tomatoes, grapes, raisins, mango chunks and mint leaves.

Toss the hot, cooked basmati rice with the 1 TBS. olive oil, rice wine vinegar and salt. Place 1/4 cup scoop of rice on each salad, then top with the dollop of mango chutney.

Beside the rice, bed down 1 cup of warm prepared lentils. Top with the chutney-yogurt dressing and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Serve each salad with a warm pita.

To make delicious, nutritious chutney-yogurt dressing:

1 cup low-fat plain, organic yogurt
1/2 cup Major Grey's Mango Chutney
2 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar

Whisk all this yumminess together until you have a well melded dressing that's thin enough to pour over the salad. If it's too thick, add more vinegar.


Just in case you need some extra inspiration. This has been on repeat in my house.