Changing Seasons Salad

School supplies are out in stores which means summer is almost over and fall is almost here.

Does anyone else struggle with meal planning in September? In my neck of the woods, September can either be nice and cool, hoodies and chili and bonfire type of weather, or sweltering hot to rival July and August. There is no in-between.

So…what’s a good recipe when it’s too warm for chili but the garden harvest is starting to slow?

Ingredients

• 1c Green Lentils
• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 1c Spinach Leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 Lemon
• 1t Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1T Olive Oil
• 4T Pomegranate Seeds
• 2 Mandarin Oranges, peeled and sliced

Instructions

1. Boil and strain the lentils according to their cooking instructions
2. Juice the lemon
3. Mix all ingredients (including the strained lentils and lemon juice) together in a large bowl
4. Serve and Enjoy!

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A Little About the Recipe

I grew up reading recipes written by my mum, grandmas, and great-grandmas on the little 4×6, sometimes 3×5, inch recipe cards. Abbreviations were used.

c = cup
t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon

The pomegranate seeds may have made you raise your eyes. You can either get a pomegranate, crack it open, and pound the seeds out into the bowl of water (used to separate the seeds from the extra innards). Or. In this day and age, you can head to pretty much any grocery store and purchase pomegranate seeds already harvested.

The biggest health benefit to pomegranate seeds is them being antioxidants. They’re also high in vitamins and minerals our bodies need for heart health, sleep, endurance, anti-inflammatories, etc.

Lentils made their mark in the world during World War II when supplies were scarce or rationed. So why lentils? Well, let’s start with them being high in protein. They’re also a legume, not a grain, so naturally are gluten-free. Lentils are also antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and have a low glycemic index. They also are rich in folate and other vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

Since this is such a nutrient-dense salad, I prefer it for lunch or a light supper – not so much as a side salad.

Last little tidbit about lentils: 1 cup uncooked does not seem like enough, especially to make a whole big salad. But, they expand. Trust me, 1 cup is plenty to feed a single person for a week or a family of 5-6 for a meal.

Full Disclaimer: I have no idea where I got this recipe. It may have been online, maybe in a health book, possibly by word of mouth. But I typed it out, made it, and liked it.