Halibut over Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes

Lately watching Food Network has been almost painful. I don't know how or when or why it got so bad, but I hate almost every new show and while it used to be a priority to watch new episodes of shows I loved on the weekend, I now race out of the house to not have to go through the misery. I don't care what Brian Boitano makes! Once in a blue moon, I catch a repeat of something interesting and I immediately add whatever recipe I've just seen to my Springpad so as not to forget it. The most recent recipe I added was these herbed lentils. I really love lentils. They take a while to cook, but most of that is inactive time that you can spend doing something else. In this case, while the lentils are cooking, you can prep all of the other ingredients so that everything is ready at the same time. A while ago I picked up some Pacific halibut at the Silverlake farmers market. I try to always keep pieces of fish in my freezer at all times so if the mood strikes, I can quickly thaw them and have a beautiful dinner ready in no time. The lentils make this dish hearty so you aren't craving more food when you have finished eating and the herbs and lemon juice keep the whole dish feeling fresh. All I did to the halibut was season it lightly with salt and pepper and cooked it in a pan. This is a wonderful meal that is easy to prepare on any night of the week.



Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes
(Adapted from Ellie Krieger)



Makes 2 generous servings

1/2 cup green lentils
1-2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon diced shallots
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the lentils in a pot with the water and a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still retain their shape. Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, basil, parsley, and mint to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve.

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