Grilled New Potatoes

and Lentils with Creamy Lemon Dressing

Early summer potatoes, cooked and grilled, are just the ticket for this fabulous salad. Coupled with lentils, they’re a delicious add-on to any meal plan. This recipe offers an added bonus: it can be made in stages, so you’re not cooking all afternoon.

Ingredients

Lentils

1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 generous fresh thyme sprig

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) dried French lentils

2 cups (500 mL) water

Potatoes and creamy lemon dressing

1 1/2 lbs (750 g) new potatoes, such as fingerlings or young Yukon Gold or red potatoes

1 cup (250 mL) low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup (125 mL) buttermilk

2 Tbsp (30 mL) grainy Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

1 tsp (5 mL) liquid honey

1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt

1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup (125 mL) microgreens or radish sprouts

2 oz (57 g) shaved prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)

In medium-sized saucepan, heat oil. Add carrot, celery, and onion, and sauté over medium heat just until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add thyme sprig, bay leaf, salt, lentils, and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until lentils are almost tender but still hold their shape and have a bit of bite to them. Drain well and turn out onto baking sheet to cool. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf and discard. Lentils can be made ahead and stored in a closed container for up to 3 days, if you wish.

Cut potatoes in half. In large saucepan, place potatoes and add enough water to cover by 1 in (2.5 cm). Add a dash of salt, if you wish. Boil gently for 15 minutes or until tender but still firm. Remove. Drain and place in large bowl. Stir broth into bowl with cooked potatoes and set aside. Potatoes will absorb broth; they can be refrigerated in broth overnight if you wish.

In small bowl, combine buttermilk, Dijon, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Vigorously whisk to blend. Add more seasonings, to taste. Dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated in airtight container for a couple of days.

When ready to serve, grease barbecue grate and preheat to 425 F (220 C). Drain any remaining broth from cooked potatoes. Drizzle potatoes with oil and gently toss to coat. Grill potatoes until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn occasionally. Transfer to large bowl. Add cooked lentils and drizzle with buttermilk dressing. Gently toss to evenly coat. Spoon onto serving platter and scatter with chopped green onions, parsley, and microgreens. Tuck prosciutto in and around, if using. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate for a couple of hours and serve cold.

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF POTATO-SALAD LIFE

Potato salad lends itself to any number of variations, and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. Try swapping out microgreens for baby spinach leaves. Another interesting slant: crisp up (optional) prosciutto on the grill before breaking into bite-sized pieces and scattering over the salad.

Bestbeer?

You can’t go wrong serving this dreamy salad with a simple and uncomplicated pale ale.

EACH OF 6 SERVINGS CONTAINS : 184 calories; 5 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 26 g total carbohydrates (4 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 398 mg sodium

Easy tips for creating the perfect burger

It’s easy to take cooking a perfect burger for granted; people have been flipping them for years. But using the following tips will provide a benchmark to achieving the best possible results:

For perfect burgers, use ground meat that’s about 85 percent lean.

Refrigerate raw patties before cooking to keep them intact during grilling.

Don’t overhandle meat to avoid toughening it up during grilling.

Press thumb into centre of each patty, forming a dent before grilling, to keep burger in shape and ensure even cooking.

Avoid pressing burgers down with a spatula during grilling; you’ll squeeze out the delicious juices!

Try to flip burgers only once to keep them tender and juicy.

Always test with a meat thermometer to assure doneness.

Allow patties to rest for about 5 minutes after grilling.