Recipe: Lentil Salad

Wednesday was a milestone for me as a cook! I came home and couldn't find the recipe for the Lentil Salad that I had planned to make for dinner. So ... I made it from memory. I was so proud of myself. Some of it was even from visual memory. I was just about to cook the lentils when I remembered some dusty-looking spice that floats on the top when I first put the water in before cooking. Looked in the spice cabinet - yes, thyme, that's it! OK, so I accidentally cooked the celery instead of putting it in raw at the end, and I put in too many lentils (OK, about twice the amount called for) but it still came out pretty good. This is just about my favorite recipe - quick, easy, inexpensive, tasty, good for lunch the next day, and it pleases friends who are vegetarian or even those who are allergic to lots of stuff. So anyway, without further ado ...

(one more thing - I got this from allrecipes.com, my favorite recipe website. Check it out.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dry brown lentils
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan combine lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy.
2. Drain lentils and vegetables and remove bay leaf. Add olive oil, lemon juice, celery, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss to mix and serve at room temperature.