As part of the 2017 Nutrition Challenge, registered dietician Desiree Nielsen shares a recipe for roasted shiitake and French lentil salad.
Ingredients
– 1 cup dry French lentils, soaked four hours, rinsed
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 lb shiitake and cremini (brown button) mushrooms, cleaned and halved
– 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme
– 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 2 cups frozen pre-chopped butternut squash
– 1 tsp maple syrup
– 1 tsp oil
– dash chili flakes
– ½ cup diced red onion
– ¼ cup sunflower seeds
– Optional: 2 large handfuls pre-washed arugula or baby kale
Dressing
– ¼ c extra virgin olive oil
– 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
– 1 tsp maple syrup
– 1 tsp turmeric
– 2 tsp Dijon
– 2 cloves roasted garlic
– ½ tsp salt
– ¼ tsp cumin
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a medium pot, bring French lentils to a boil with bay leaves until cooked but al dente about 15–20 minutes. Rinse, drain and season with salt and pepper.
Spread mushrooms and onions on a rimmed cookie sheet, toss with extra virgin olive oil and thyme. Roast for 12-15, until mushrooms gain colour but before they start to wilt too much. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a pot fitted with a steamer basket, steam butternut squash until warm and toss in maple, chili flakes, salt and pepper. No steamer basket? Bring 1 inch of water to a boil and then toss in squash for just a minute or two.
Meanwhile, whisk up dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, gently toss mushrooms, lentils and squash with dressing and sunflower seeds and season to taste.
No roasted garlic on hand? Two options! Slice the top 1/4 off a head of garlic. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Twist up foil and pop in the oven as soon as you turn it on. Or leave the cloves in the skin and roast up with the mushrooms and onions…then just pop (carefully) cloves out of the skin.
More Global BC recipes are available here