MARINATED LENTIL SALAD WITH TOMATO & FETA

 

Lentils:  Fill up…not out! 

Don’t let their size fool you. Lentils may be the littlest of legumes, but nutritionally they are giants and a great source of cholesterol lowering fiber.  In addition, their fiber helps stabilize blood sugar and lower risk for some cancers. But it doesn’t end here.  Lentils also provide high amounts of seven important minerals, our B-vitamins and protein, all without virtually any fat! With only 230 calories per cup of cooked lentils, this little nutritional giant will fill you up…not out!

Marinated Lentil Salad with Tomato & Feta

Recipe by Chef Stacy Maple

Yields 4-6 people

Ingredients:

2 Cups Green Lentils
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Zest Whole Lemon
1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar (preferably, White Balsamic)
2 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves, thinly sliced
2 Cups Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved
¼ Cup Kalamata Olives, chopped
1/3 Cup Feta, crumbled
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Sea Salt
Capers, to garnish

Directions:

Step 1 

Place the lentils and garlic in a medium sized saucepan and add enough cold water to cover the lentils by 2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer and continue
cooking for 20 minutes or until lentils are just tender.

Step 2 

In mixing bowl, whisk together oil, zest and vinegar.

Step 3 

When lentils are finished cooking, drain well and discard garlic cloves.  Add well drained lentils to the bowl of vinaigrette and toss together to coat.  Cover and put in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Step 4 

Once lentils are chilled, add spinach, tomatoes, olives and feta and toss together.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with capers. Serve Immediately.  

Herb Rosted Spring Chicken

Spring Chicken                                                                                                                                                                     

Until I paid a visit to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, I thought a Spring Chicken was just a fanciful thing or a way to romanticize about a chicken that was on the small side.  I soon realized that different varieties of chickens mature at different ages.  Spring Chickens are small, juicy, mildly flavored birds that are perfect for roasting.  In high heat, roasting crisps the bird’s skin and helps preserve their juices.  These little chickens would be wasted in a stew and no fun to fry.  The bird’s flesh is tender and seems to absorb the perfume of herbs well, making them the perfect choice for this herbaceous dish.  Serve Herb Roasted Spring Chicken with traditional spring sides like smashed new potatoes and steamed peas for a lovely meal that is tough to beat this season.

 

Herb Roasted Spring Chicken Recipe

serves 4

30 minutes Prep Tim, Marinate Overnight                                                                                                      30 minutes Cooking Time

Chef’s Notes:  Spring Chickens are sometimes called Poussin ( poo-san).  Poussin is the butcher’s term for a young chicken.  Either birds, Spring Chickens or Poussins are suitable for this dish.  

Ingredients

2 Spring Chickens or Poussins, each about 1 pound

2 TB Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

1 TB Fresh Rosemary, chopped

1 TB Fresh Tarragon, chopped

1 TB Fresh Thyme, chopped

1 TB Fresh Chives, chopped

2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TB Kosher Salt

 

Directions:

1 The day before serving, rinse chickens and pat dry.  In a small bowl, whisk together Parsley, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme, Chives, Black Pepper and Oil.  Place each chicken in a quart size resalable plastic bag and pour half of oil mixture into each bag.  Seal the bag tightly and rub the outside of the bags to work the herb mixture into the chickens, covering them entirely.  Refrigerate overnight to allow the herb flavor to penetrate the chickens.

2 The following day, preheat oven to 425 degrees

3 Remove the chickens from the bags and place them on a rack in a roasting pan and allow chickens to come to room temperature.  Roast the chickens for 30 minutes and juices run clear when the bird is poked in the thickest part of the thigh or an instant-read thermometer reaches 165 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh meat.  Remove from oven and let rest on counter for 10 minutes.

4 To serve, using a very sharp knife, split the birds in half, lengthwise, using the breast bone as a guide.  Cut out back bone and discard it.  Place half of bird on each plate and serve immediately.