Lentilles with a Fried Egg and a Green Salad

Today I woke up craving lentils. This is not an uncommon occurrence, and since I was planning on making a peach tart later, I figured a salad accompaniment would be nice.

Lentils

{This is a fairly standard recipe I think, feel free to vary it up a little!}

1 small onion, peeled

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, peeled

1 piece of smoked bacon

1 leek, washed and roughly cut

1/2 pound of lentils

Dijon mustard, salt, red wine vinegar, to taste...

Place the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water. You should check for pebbles in the lentils before you put them in, but no need to wash them. Bring the mix to a boil, and then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Discard the onion, garlic, bay leaf and leek. You may but up the bacon and carrots and use them in the lentils {something I recommend you do, and don't be put off by the bacon, no it doesn't look as good as its fried cousin, but if you chop it up finely it will taste good}. Strain the lentils, keeping a few spoonfuls of juice to re-moisten them. Put the lentils back in the pot along with your carrots and bacon, and lentil juice. Add salt, a tiny spoonful of dijon mustard, sprinkle with vinegar, and season with salt, taste-testing as you go.

Fried Egg

I like to top my lentils with a fried egg, sunny side up, for a little extra protein.

Salad

Mixed greens of your preference

2 avocados, sliced {for this purpose I think wide very thin slices are best}

1 carrot, sliced {I like to julienne carrots}

1/2 good quality apple, pink lady or fuji, thinly sliced

3 radishes, thinly medallion-ed

3 tablespoons feta cheese

1 thin medallion of lemon per plate

Dressing

dijon mustard

honey

balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

pinch of salt

{I find making dressing is easiest in a sealable jar (such as a little mason jar)}. Place all the ingredients in a jar or a bowl, I never measure, but about a spoonful of dijon, an equal amount of honey, and when pouring the oil and balsamic, they should be about equal parts as well, then a splash of red wine vinegar. Mix them until smooth with a fork, or by sealing and then shaking the jar.

Assemblage

{this is really just a suggestion, but thats how I plated the meal for the pictures}

*Dress the greens in a separate bowl, then place them on a corner of the plates and sprinkle with feta cheese, top with a lemon slice.

*Arrange the slices of avocado, carrots, apples, and radishes along the side of the salad, leaving room for the lentils.

*Dish out the lentils and then top with a fried egg.