Rubies Amongst the Greens Salad and Chopped Lentil Liver

Rubies Amongst the Greens Salad

Ingredients

300g lettuce of choice, shredded

1 English cucumber, coarsely chopped

200g sugar snap peas, julienned

2 cups shelled edamame beans

3 cups red cabbage, shredded

2 avocado pears, scooped with a teaspoon

175g pomegranate rubies

1 cup pumpkin seeds

⅓ cup sugar

Pumpkin seed brittle: Place the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan with the sugar over medium heat. Continue stirring until seeds are coated in the melted sugar. Place on a sheet of baking paper and spread out with a wooden spoon, leave to cool. Break up and set aside. This can be prepared a few days ahead. Store covered at room temperature;

Boil edamame beans for three minutes, drain, and toss with a bit of sea salt and two tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside;

Toss cabbage and lettuce together;

Top with all the remaining ingredients, putting the pumpkin seed brittle on just before serving.

Dressing

1 cup sunflower oil

1 cup vinegar

½ cup sugar

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ small red onion

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp salt

Few drops tabasco

¼ cup poppy seeds

Place all the dressing ingredients in a food processor, and whizz until well combined. Dress the salad just before serving. The dressing can be prepared a few days ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Shake before use.

Chopped Lentil Liver

The chopped lentil liver can be prepared and topped with grated egg and fried onions up to one day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Remove from the refrigerator half an hour before serving.

Ingredients

500g dried brown lentils, rinsed

5 large onions, thinly sliced

½ cup sunflower oil

1 x 14g chicken stock cube, crushed

2-3 Tbsp sugar

8 extra large eggs, hardboiled, cooled, and quartered

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Method

Cover the lentils with water in a pot and bring to the boil on a high heat; lower the heat to medium and simmer until soft; drain in a colander, allow to cool and refrigerate for one hour;

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on low-to-medium heat, and fry the onions slowly until lightly golden, stirring often;

Add the crushed stock cube and the sugar to the onions;

Fry for a further few minutes until the onions are golden brown and caramelised, stirring often;

Remove the onion mixture from the pan, and allow to cool completely;

Whizz half of the lentils, onion, egg, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth; transfer to a mixing bowl; repeat with the balance of the ingredients; combine both mixtures and check the seasoning;

Place on a serving platter.

Topping

Ingredients

¼ cup sunflower oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

3 extra large eggs, hardboiled and cooled

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on low-to-medium heat;

Fry the onions slowly until golden brown, stirring often;

Remove from the pan and allow to cool;

Grate or finely chop the boiled eggs over the lentil liver, and top with the fried onions.

To serve

The lentil liver is delicious accompanied by prepared horseradish or hot mustard, and challah or crackers.