Warm Lentil, Walnut & Goat Cheese Salad
“An original food pioneer, Linda McCartney believed in great tasting, honest, meat free food 
and the shared pleasure that eating well could bring.” – http://lindamccartneyfoods.co.uk/
The late Linda McCartney was at the forefront of the plant based convenience foods movement for vegetarians and vegans when she launched her first products in 1991, right before I graduated from college. Sausages, lasagna, and cheese pies were the norm then. Now a global brand, snapped up by variety of companies along the way, it’s clear that McCartney was a visionary.
I’ve watched the explosion of the vegan aisle on both sides of the Atlantic and noted the shift from traditional soy based products to alternatives such as pea protein and lentil based options. Beyond Meat is just one of the rapidly growing innovative companies seeking to replace animal proteins for the mass market.
With a 9 year old as the sole vegetarian in our house, I’m cautious not to tout all of these convenience foods as healthy, but as occasional dinner time short cuts just like a store bought frozen pizza.
My 9 year old’s curiosity in the kitchen is a gift because she is interested in the preparation, is adept at using a sharp knife, tastes as she goes along, and of course loves to use all of the appliances whenever she can get her hands on them. She is teaching herself to cook from scratch, when we have the time.
Our Indian Dal blend curried green lentil tortillas debuted 6 years ago and has been on rotation ever since, and I’m happy to say that we crafted a new, entirely different French green lentil recipe with a more summery vibe using our Coq Au Vin spice blend. This Warm Lentil, Walnut & Goat Cheese Salad with a French Vinaigrette is an 8 minute pressure cooker sprint, or a 5 hour slow cooker stroll.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup / 3 shallots or 1 medium onion,
- diced
- 1 cup / 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 tsp / 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Coq au Vin Blend*
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups French Green (Puy) lentils
- 2 cups water / *3 cups if slow cooking
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 4 oz goat cheese or a crumbly blue cheese
- heat oil in the Instant Pot on sauté function, medium and add shallot /onion, carrot and garlic garlic in IP for 2 minutes.
- sprinkle in the Coq Au Vin blend, stir in the tomato paste, lentils and water
- secure the Instant Pot lid and pressure valve to Sealing and press the Manual / Pressure Cook
- button and adjust the cook time to 8 minutes
- once cooked turn the dial to Venting and use Quick Pressure Release
- make the dressing in a cup and stir into the cooked lentil mixture
- top with walnuts, crumbled goat cheese & Italian parsley
- heat oil in a skillet on medium; sauté onion, carrot, garlic for 2 minutes
- transfer onion mixture to slow cooker
- sprinkle the Coq Au Vin blend; add the tomato paste, French green lentils, and water
- stir, cover and cook on LOW: 5 hours or HIGH: 2 1/2 hours
- *substitute with your favorite mixed herb blend
- **pescatarian version: top with a cod or hake fillet, oven baked with capers and lemon. Omit cheese.
Vegan is mainstream – www.plantbasednews.org, August 1st 2018
Michele Simon, Executive Director of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), said: “The plant-based foods industry has gone from being a relatively niche market to fully mainstream.
“Plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are not just for vegetarians or vegans anymore; now even mainstream consumers are enjoying these delicious and innovative options in the market today.
