SANDWICH, STARTER, TO COOK, VEGETARIAN, BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH SANDWICH, STARTER, TO COOK, VEGETARIAN, BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH

A Sandwich with Lemon Lentil Mousse and Roast Garlic

The legume section in my pantry is overflowing, it's time to empty some lentil boxes! My plan is to make a smooth lentil mousse enhanced with parsley, lemon and garlic, to spread on sandwiches and to eat together with raw vegetable sticks. I prepare a big bowl as we'll have my brother in law over for the next couple of days. When guests stay with us, I like to have some food ready in the fridge, easy nibbles and snacks that everyone can enjoy whenever they feel like, but first I'll need the mousse for my Sandwich Wednesday.

Besides the lemon and parsley aromas, the garlic plays an important role. I don't leave it plain and raw, I roast it, golden and sticky, almost sweet. I bake big, fleshy cloves in their skin and after 10 minutes in the oven they turn into a delicious paste. They taste so good that I throw a couple more into the oven, as an extra topping. Squeezed with a fork I lay the warm and juicy garlic on top of the lentil spread. This is such a great combination, the nuttiness of legumes together with the sourness of the lemon juice and zest, the aromatic parsley and the sweet and spicy garlic. I've made a few variations on this lentil mousse already, but this one is the freshest!

Lemony Parsley Lentil Mousse and Roast Garlic on a Sandwich 

For the sandwiches you need white buns with a nice crust, crisp and crunchy. I made lots of mousse, it stays fresh for a few days. It's also great as finger food for parties, on slices of bread or served together with vegetable sticks!

  • lentils 350g / 12.5 ounces (I use a small type which doesn’t need to soak overnight)

  • bay leaf 1

  • fresh parsley, chopped, the leaves of a medium bunch plus more for the topping

  • freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 tablespoons

  • lemon zest 3 teaspoons plus more for the topping

  • olive oil 50ml

  • salt 2 1/2 teaspoons

  • black pepper

  • garlic, 12 big cloves in their skin (6 for the mousse, 6 for the topping)

Cook the lentils in 1 liter of water together with the bay leaf for 20 minutes or until they are done. Don’t season with salt yet or the lentils will stay hard. Take out the bay leaf and drain the lentils.

Set the oven to 220°C / 430°F (I used the Rotitherm roasting setting) and roast the cloves of garlic in their skin for 12 minutes or until they are soft. Peel the garlic and squeeze with a fork.

Mix the lentils in a blender to a smooth paste together with the parsley, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and half of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the sandwiches, cut the buns in half, spread the lentil mousse on one side and lay 1 or 2 squeezed, roast garlic on top. Sprinkle with some parsley and lemon zest and close the bun.

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MAIN, SOUP, STARTER, TO COOK, VEGETARIAN MAIN, SOUP, STARTER, TO COOK, VEGETARIAN

Earthy Porcini Lentil Soup with Honey and Ginger

A couple days ago I ate a very aromatic porcini soup at one of my favourite restaurants and I was very surprised when the chef and owner told me where the mushrooms for this wonderful meal came from, the desert. The dunes of the Kalahari in southern Africa produce sensational truffle and porcini in season from now till May. I savored this dinner together with my family and we were all surprised and impressed at the same time! I've never seen mushrooms from the Kalahari in a store or at the markets before but I will definitely look out for them!

The soup was so tasty that it aroused my appetite for mushrooms and I had to think of a lentil soup my aunt Ursula had told me about (she was at the dinner as well). It combines the earthy flavours of lentils and porcini. I went for dried porcini (from Italy not from Africa). My aunt recommended them for this meal as you have to shred them finely into a very concentrated porcini flour which you cook together with the lentils. I used my Swabian Alb Leisa Lentils from South Germany for this meal which conveniently don't need to soak in water. Their taste is strong enough for the aromatic porcini, so strong that I could even add a piece of ginger, some thyme sprigs and a spoon of honey. The result is an absolutely delicious lentil soup full of wintery aromas.

Porcini Lentils with Honey, Ginger and Thyme

This is great to cook in large batches to keep in the freezer for quick dinners!

For 4 people you need

  • lentils 350g / 12.5 ounces (I use a small dark type which doesn't need to soak)

  • dried porcini mushrooms, shredded finely in a blender, 50g / 2 ounces

  • medium sized onion, chopped, 1

  • garlic, crushed, 1 clove

  • broth 1000ml plus more for cooking depending on the lentils

  • fresh thyme 5 sprigs

  • ginger, thumbnail sized

  • bay leaf 1

  • honey 1 tablespoon

  • salt and black pepper

  • olive oil for frying

In a large pot, fry the onion and garlic in a little oil on medium heat until golden, add some more oil and the shredded porcini and fry for 1 minute. Add the lentils, ginger, thyme, bay leaf and the broth. Don’t season with salt yet or the lentils will stay hard. Close the lid and let it cook for about 30 minutes. The cooking time depends on the lentil type, mine needed 30 minutes. When the lentils are soft, add the honey, season with salt and pepper and take out the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and ginger.

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