Monday 21 July 2014

Za'atar baked feta and lentil salad

We have been having a heat wave and there is nothing better in the sunshine than London Town. In this type of weather, there is also nothing more satisfying than a delicious salad, usually with some wonderfully soft, nutty and salty cheese to reinstate salt lost from the body in the heat. With that and the fact I didn’t want to spend much time curled over a hot stove, I knocked up this easy salad with the minimal amount of effort. The secret is to have a jar of the herby ready made (Middle Eastern) za'atar easy to hand.

What you will need
200g puy lentils
275ml vegetable stock
1 table spoon tomato puree
1 tea spoon chilli flakes
1 tea spoon paprika
1 table spoon cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
200g feta cheese
1 clove garlic
2 tea spoon za'atar
1 table spoon lemon juice
Mixed salad leaves
Pomegranate molasses

Begin by placing the lentils into the pan with the vegetable stock, tomato puree, chilli flakes, tomato puree, cider vinegar and bay leaf. Cook on a medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the water has evaporated and the lentils are cooked through (add more water as necessary).

Meanwhile, place the feta cheese in a roasting dish and pierce with several holes. Next slice the clove of garlic and place into the pierced holes in the feta cheese. Sprinkle over the zatar, add the lemon juice and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes until softened and browned.






Serve the lentils on a bed of mixed leaves and then top with half the feta cheese. Finally, drizzle over a generous helping of pomegranate molasses to counterbalance the salty herby feta cheese.

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