Food Day Canada Loves Cooking Canadian with these Hearty Main Course Lentil Recipes

Red Lentil Crusted Albacore Tuna with Beluga Lentil and Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

Araxi Chef Quang Dang created this albacore tuna dish a few years ago for a national lentil contest. It’s easy, gluten free and very creative! 1 small albacore tuna loin, trimmed 2 cups (500 mL) red lentils, ground in a spice grinder then sifted 2 Tbsp (30 mL) salt 2 Tbsp (30 mL) black pepper, finely ground 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil In a bowl, combine lentils, salt and pepper. Using a baking sheet, evenly spread out the lentil crust. Roll the tuna loin in the crust, ensuring there is no exposed meat. Pre-heat a heavy bottom frying pan or a very hot grill/griddle to high heat. Sear the tuna loin on all sides for 20 seconds. Once all sides have been seared, place on a wire rack and cool in the fridge. To serve, slice loin into 1 cm thick slices. Beluga Lentil and Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette 1 cup (250 mL) beluga lentils, boiled in seasoned water until tender the drained 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey 2 Tbsp (30 mL) sherry vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper, ground 1 shallot, minced 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane 2 Tbsp (30 mL) flat leaf parsley, finely minced 1 tsp ( 5 mL) grainy mustard Salt, to taste In a small pot, combine half the cherry tomatoes, honey, sherry vinegar, and black pepper. Simmer until tomatoes are fully cooked. Pass through a coarse sieve. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato mixture with all the remaining ingredients. Season to taste. To serve, slice tuna loin 1 cm thick and arrange on top of the lentil mixture. Serves 6...

Sweet Potato and Curried Red Lentil Pizza

A high protein, utterly delicious new way of making a pizza. ¾ cup (180 mL) dry red lentils 1½ (375 mL) cups water 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, chopped ½ small eggplant, diced 1 lb (500 g) sweet potato, cubed 1 can (28 oz – 796 mL) Italian Style diced tomatoes, un-drained 1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger 1½ (7 mL) tsp curry powder 1½ tbsp (22 mL) ground cumin Salt and pepper to taste 1 (12 inch) thin prebaked whole wheat pizza crust ¼ cup (60 mL) grated Romano cheese Combine the lentils and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion; cook until soft and slightly browned. Stir in eggplant and sweet potato. Pour about ½ cup of liquid from canned tomatoes. Simmer until juices are absorbed. Stir in tomatoes, ginger, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper; simmer until sweet potato begins to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. (If juices cook off before potatoes are fully cooked, stir in a small amount of water, and cover.) Place pizza crust on pizza pan. Spread the lentils evenly across the surface of the crust out to the edges. Spread sweet potato mixture evenly on...

The Great Canadian Beluga Lentil Burger – A Whale of a Burger

As one of Quebec’s top chefs, when Charles Part of the legendary Les Fougères dubbed this a “Whale of a Burger”, I listened. Then I read…and headed to my local lentil purveyor immediately. You could substitute dried cranberries (Canadian-only please) for the apricots or serve it in a flatbread as a wrap. Brilliant! Charles and his wife/partner Jennifer Warren Part have an attachment to their environment is strongly reflected in the attention to both seasonality and...

Smoked Bacon Lentil Ragout

When Dana was at The Waterfont Centre she had a marvellous herb garden. After the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, the Waterfront was the second hotel in Canada to have its own bee hives. When Dana Hauser worked there she was the first female executive chef in the entire Fairmont chain. She served this fabulous dish at the hotel restaurant, then named Heron’s with pan-seared Qualicum bay scallops. 4 slices double smoked bacon, cut...

Slow Roasted Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Berkshire Pork Belly on Du Puy Lentils

Serve this fabulous dish over double-smoked bacon and caramelized-onion Du Puy lentils with a Saskatoon berry gastrique. It’s a great combination. Rub for the Pork Belly: 5 lbs rind-on pork belly ¼ cup Kosher salt 2 tsp black pepper; restaurant grind 1 tbsp crushed caraway seeds 1 tbsp dry mustard powder – Keen’s ½ cup soy sauce 1 cup brown sugar ¾ cup bourbon ¼ cup coarsely chopped toasted almond slices Pre-heat oven to...

Ranchero Beef Steak

Pay homage to the grill with your favourite Canadian beef steak. The sauce in this recipe goes well with any Grilling or Marinating steak — it’s somewhat smoky and spicy and loaded with garden vegetables. If you can’t take the heat, reduce the amount of chipotle pepper by half. Time: 20 Minutes Cook: 20 mins Yields: 4 – 6 Servings 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil 1 cup (250 mL) sweet onion, cut lengthwise...