Hello friends in the Hive realm.
It is spring here in Canada when the flowers poke their heads from the ground and we see a little more sun. Yesterday it was 20C and balmy. I had to work. Today is a day off for us, and it's cold with snow flurries to start the day, so there will not be a picnic.
Instead I will make a hearty salad using roasted roots and beluga lentils. I happened to find some beluga lentils, which are my all time favourite lentils. These lentils are also known as black lentils and caviar lentils. I rarely see them on the shelf. Last week I saw them and without hesitation, added them to the basket.
I did soak them although they cook easily without soaking.
I don't use root vegetables often enough but for this dish, and the wintery weather, I thought it would be fitting.
I chose butternut squash, rainbow carrots, beet and celeriac. There are onions and garlic in the photo but I changed my mind about roasting them. I would use onion raw later and also garlic in the pesto.
We have several squash varieties available here. I chose one that I thought would be the easiest to peel. The butternut squash is quite smooth and has few seeds. It was still a fight to peel it. If I had roasted it whole I could have taken the peel off at the end. I had other intentions.
The celeriac is something I am giving attention to more lately, using it for soup stock. I thought why not roast it this time.
Celeriac is the root of the celery. I knew this, but a co-worker tried to tell me I was wrong. He almost had me convinced. He's French so he must have gotten confused with something else.
I wanted to dice all of the roots before putting them in the oven.
It's a matter of preference on what size the roots are kept. I chose small to go with the little lentils. Plus I figured it would be faster to roast.
The hardest part was now done. I finally got them in the pan and ready to put them in the oven.
I had some fresh thyme and fresh rosemary to put in the pan. These two herbs go well with roots. This was going to have a western winter vibe.
I have been consuming quite a bit of highly spiced foods lately. After that I have to calm down a bit and get back to my Canadian-ish roots. Get it?
Roasted roots and lentil salad
1 1/2 cup dried beluga lentils
150g carrots
350g celeriac
250g beets
350g butternut squash
150g kale
200g cabbage
150g red onion
150g cherry tomato
150 walnuts
60g sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons maple syrup for walnuts
While the lentils cooked covered in water with a clove of garlic and bay leaf, I roasted the vegetables in a 400F oven.
The vegetables were covered for 20 minutes then finished off uncovered. I just kept checking until they were to my liking. Not too soft but cooked through. I didn't want them to mush when I mixed everything.
The lentils were cooked to the same point of tender but not mushy. I didn't measure the water, but it ended up needing more liquid to finish it off.
When the belugas were done, I spread them on a plate to cool faster. This salad could easily be served warm, but I opted for a cold salad. I would be serving it with the arugula pesto, which I did not want destroyed by heat.
I kept the vinaigrette simple to not interfere with the taste of the pesto which would hold the flavor for the salad.
Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
I used only the leaves of the kale and made sure to chop it finely. It can be tough but once massaged with the dressing softens up and adds a nice texture to the salad along with some thinly sliced raw cabbage and some diced red onion. I added cherry tomatoes at the end.
When the lentils and roots were cooled, they were gently mixed together.
After everything is mixed together apart from the tomatoes and the arugula pesto, I drizzled on the vinaigrette.
This is the first time I have made arugula pesto. I never thought of it, until Marc told me he put arugula in our smoothie. I thought it was strange, but it tasted fine. This is when I realized that it would taste good as a pesto instead of the classic basil pesto for a change.
Arugula is very popular here and is in all stores all the time. It is a strong green yet delicate at the same time. I would have to describe the taste as peppery and nutty. I don't know if that would be it, but the taste and texture add something nice to a salad. This time I changed the texture into a cream.
Arugula pesto
1 1/2 cup soaked cashews
150g arugula
1/2 cup lemon jus or to taste preference
3 cloves garlic or to taste preference
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Water to blend
I ended up using the juice of three lemons. I didn't get much juice out of each one.
To my surprise, I was able to get all of the arugula into the blender.
I knew the salad would not be complete without the added garnish of walnuts and sunflower seeds.
These have more nutrients raw, but I wanted the enjoyment of toasting them in a little oil and maple syrup, and a sprinkle of salt.
The sunflower seeds were added to the pan at the end.
I had some leftover croutons from another day which I added as well.
I didn't want to mix the arugula pesto in with the salad. This would have changed the look of the salad.
This was abundant for two people but it's nice to have something like this ready to eat when on the run, which is today.
This can last for a while in the fridge. I have enough pesto left to make another salad or some pasta with. I could have made half the amount but I was not sure how it would turn out. I am happy to have more leftover.
Wow this is spectacular, the salad is very interesting and I love the combination you made. Savory and fresh with the colored vegetables you chose. One more thing, I love the rainbow carrots they are so cute, here there are no carrots other than orange color.
Believe or not, they are not as tasty as the orange ones. It's all looks haha. Yeah they really are pretty and cute.
Thank you for your lovely words!
Your salad looks divine Carolyn!
I love lentils but have never seen these.
What a pity that you had a cold spell on your day off, but summer is on its way and you'll soon be able to get out and enjoy more sunny days.
Enjoy your weekend my friend <3
Hello my friend. I rarely see these lentils. They are awesome. Yeah the weather is annoying me but you know....Canada.
The weekend is the roughest time because of work, but Monday comes soon so I can have a day off. Working me arse off haha.
Good wishes.😊
Of course, weekends are your busiest! I can just imagine how frenetic it can get. So while everyone else complains about Mondays, it must be the best day of the week for you!
My niece lives in Saskatchewan, and sent photos of the snow there in mid-winter, I would not survive in Canada for sure.
My weekends and public holidays used to be busy as my staff are off, but I no longer offer cleaning services on those days.
At least if you go out on your days off, it must be less crowded. Hope summer settles in soon so you can have that picnic in the park!
So, please take care of yourself, and enjoy Monday <3
❤️
This looks very interesting and nourishing. Never had this kind of salad before.
It's a meal salad. I don't need anything more for a while after this. Best wishes.
Will have to look for this kind of lentils here.
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Another delicious-looking (and I bet tasty too!) recipe from you! And with summer being around the corner, I'm a seeker of these easy recipes for salads. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much @gabrielatravels! I appreciate you stopping by and the encouragement. The best to you.
Pleasure all mine! Have a lovely weekend.
hello @carolynstahl
How beautiful that you are enjoying your day off preparing a delicious recipe, the dish looks exquisite
I appreciate your kind words @miprimerconcurso. Thank you so much.😊
Rainbow 🌈 carrots? Oh waoh. I have nit seen the purple before but the red and orange.
This salad 🥗 is next level my friend. Top Hive Chef 👩🍳 classical. I love how you combined all the roots. Delicious freshness indeed.
Sorry about the cold beautiful 😍 warmer days will soon be here. I make sure to start my day with black tea ☕️ and ginger. Its keeps the flu away.
Take good care of yourself and enjoy the weekend. Sending love ❤️ and hug 🤗.
It is a little warmer, but not enough for me haha. Your words are very warming for me and much appreciated.
The carrots don't taste as sweet as the regular ones. They are for the eyes only. Black tea and ginger sounds delicious.
hugs and good wishes.❤️
Can’t wait for proper summer 🌻😎🌞
And we hope to enjoy it.
Those carrots 🥕 are aesthetically beautiful.
I love ginger black tea ☕️. It helps so much for winter ❄️.
Cheers 🥂 my friend to good health. Enjoy your Sunday, Hug 🤗.
Again and again you prepare very delicious food, each appearance is different and with a very delicious taste, thank you very much for sharing this recipe friend @carolynstahl
Your compliments are always lovely and kind. I really appreciate this kind of support. Thank you my friend @yulia-hive.
I am not getting notifications from your post-publication sorry friend little late to comment on it.
I like your salad full of nutrients, and I am sure tastes delicious. many ingredients and a lot of energy you use in making food I admire your great work A hug :)
Oh don't worry my friend. I am not super active these days. I appreciate your support any time. Thank you. Good wishes.😊
I don't know why I am not getting notifications, Even from my husband's posts. I have to ask somebody about my husband doesn't know how it works. Anyway, thank you for your support. Have a nice day :)