SPICY LENTIL SALAD

Surprise, surprise, I am alive! I know it’s been awhile, but sometimes life just happens. My blog has taken a back seat these last few months but if you’re following me on Instagram you have proof that I’m alive and kicking! I’ve been cooking, traveling and of course photographing sunsets, flowers, street art, floors and ceilings and all the random pretty things I see around me.

I’ve been busy freelancing the last couple of months and of course there was the loooong (honestly, slightly too long) summer school vacation and all the traveling that came with that. All of which took priority over Papricannelle. But now I’m so looking forward to getting back to blogging!

Speaking of traveling, in today’s post I’ll share some pictures from my vacation at Lake Balaton in Hungary.

But first, a recipe! This lentil salad looks really simple but what makes it great is the Satay inspired spicy dressing. I would have loved to use Du Puy lentils for this salad, but they are unavailable here, so I just made it with simple brown lentils. As always, play with this recipe by adding whatever you have in your fridge or pantry: peas, crumbled feta, diced tofu etc.

Picnic season is just starting in Cape Town as we are slowly but surely leaving winter behind so I should mention that this is a perfect picnic dish that only gets better as the lentils and veggies marinate for some time in the dressing. And for my European friends who are entering autumn instead of spring with no picnics in sight for a while, this lentil salad makes a perfect and wholesome vegetarian lunchbox idea as well!

What you’ll need to serve 4:

• 300g lentils
• 1 small head broccoli
• 200g fresh green beans
• a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• a handful of fresh mint, chopped
• a handful of toasted cashews for garnish
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the dressing:

• 1 tbs curry paste
• 2 tbs creamy peanut butter
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbs avocado oil
• 2 tbs chopped fresh spring onions

(If the dressing is too thick, you can add a spoonful or two of boiling water.)

What you’ll need to do:

1. Place the lentils in a pot, cover with water and cook them about 10-15 minutes. Do not overcook them, you want them tender but still firm for the salad. To stop the cooking process, drain and rinse the lentils in a colander with cold water.
2. Clean the broccoli and green beans, cut the broccoli into florets. If available, using a vapor cookware set, cook the veggies about 10 minutes or alternatively blanch them in boiling water for about 5 minutes. To keep them firm rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Make your dressing by combining the ingredients in a container with a handheld blender.
4. Drizzle about half of your dressing over the lentils and toss well to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Now add your veggies, some more dressing and gently mix again.
5. Check the taste, add more salt, pepper or salad dressing if needed. Garnish with coriander, mint and toasted cashews.

And now those bonus photos from Hungary!

I spent quite a few days at a very good friend’s house in the north coast of lake Balaton. This is such a gorgeous part of Hungary, truly worth visiting if you’re looking for long bike-rides in the hilly countryside, historic sites, wine-tasting or water skiing. Above is the view on Badacsony hill and all those pretty sailboats are lined up in the Badacsony harbor.

Some random photos from my morning runs:

No visit to Hungary is complete without lángos (deep-fried flatbread) and kovászos uborka (fermented dill pickles).

Room with a view:

Hungarian Grey cattle roasting (no pun intended) under the scorching sun at the Salföld Manor.

The beaches or ‘strand’ as we call them are overcrowded in summer months. This photo was taken after sunset when almost everyone has left the strand. Well, almost everyone:

Crossing the southern and northern shore with the ferry at Tihany is not only time-saving but also lots of fun for the kids. This picturesque sunset was definitely worth the ride.