Sunday, July 5, 2009

Hit of the BBQ: Sweet Corn and Lentil Salad


Click on the photo for a larger image.

My sister-in-law always tells me that July 4th, America's independence day, is her favorite chag. Even though it's not an actual Jewish holiday, many Jewish families are grateful for the freedoms we've been granted here in the USA, and are more than happy to spend an afternoon each summer chasing away mosquitos, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and watching fireworks. This year I enjoyed my barbeque very much, especially because I made up a couple of new salad recipes to add color and flavor to our grilled meat plates. Oddly enough, the hit of the barbeque wasn't the traditional hot dogs or hamburgers, or even the lemon-marinated charcoal-grilled boneless chicken thighs, but the corn and lentil salad that I just made for the first time today! It's a variation of a corn and black bean relish I used to make when I lived on the Upper West Side, which was a standard every year for my friend Randi's Cinco De Mayo Shabbos dinner. But I digress... I got three requests for the corn-lentil recipe, so here it is!

One bag red lentils, cooked according to package directions with an onion and bay leaf, and drained (or, 2 15-Ounce cans Eden Organic Lentils with Sweet Onion and Bay Leaf [certified Kosher by The Organized Kashruth Laboratories, the O-K]), drained
3 cans yellow or white corn niblets, or 10 ears of fresh boiled sweet corn
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 cup chopped red bell pepper, small dice
1 cup red onion, small dice
3/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp celery salt
1 lime, juice only
salt to taste

Combine, refrigerate and enjoy.

2 comments:

  1. My favorite indeed! Not even that much hampered by falling over Shabbat -- I walked to the fireworks!

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  2. Hi Liz - it took me a bit to actually make this for I ran out of red lentils and had to remember when I went to the store to get some :) One of my boys saw the picture and thought it really looked good so we decided to make it.

    The only modification I had to make was that I used a white onion for I didn't have a red onion. I think I cooked my lentils too long for they came out mushy.... But, other than that, it was easy, and as long as I keep it warm (because the lentils are all mushed now) tastes good!

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