Recipe: Black Lentil & Arugula Salad

One of the great things about moving into an actual house this summer in San Francisco is being able to better connect with the neighborhod around me. I took a great class over the past semester about seeking out places to shop local and how that helps our economy, it was something that really stood out to me, so I have been working on it like crazy. It just so happened that right across the street from the supermarket giant on a busy street near by me there's a sweet little market called Parkside Farmer's Market: a Mediterranean market with every kind of food and spice you could ever want. Considering my good friends bought me a book on using spices in cooking for my birthday, I was excited to see what they had to add to my pantry. 

As I was shopping around that cloudy day, I came across something I must humbly admit I've never seen before: black lentils. What are black lentils? And what in the world makes them different from other lentils? Not really knowing, I took the cheap canned good home with me that day, and created this little salad with some research, thanks to the infamous foodgawker.com. They gave me the tip about using my favorite kind of leafy green, and trust me, it works magic. So here it is: 

My Very Own Black Lentil & Arugula Salad 

Ingredients:

1 can of Black Lentils

1 cup of Brown Rice / Jasmine Rice

1 cup Arugula

1/2 cup Cucumber

1/2 Roma Tomato

1 tsp Olive Oil

21 Seasoning Salute 

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Ginger

1 tsp Garlic

1 tsp Tumeric

1 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Cinnamon

In a simmering pot, pour out the can of black lentils and bring to a low boil. Add cumin, ginger, garlic, tumeric, all spice, and cinnamon. Let simmer for a few hours, and if you want, refrigerate it overnight.  Prepare rice and place beans beside them. Add Arugula, cucumber, tomato. Drizzle the greens with olive oil, and top the whole dish with 21 seasoning salute. 

The best way to eat this lovely looking dish is by mixing it all up. You may think I'm kidding, but really, it tastes better that way. 

To a new found food! Enjoy.