Summer Eats and A Lentil Salad Recipe!

Happy Friday!  I hope you've had a great week my friends!  I have to say, ours has been pretty fantastic!  It's the very first week that it's really felt like "Summer Vacation" to us, even though we are two weeks in.  The first week, we were away and last week, we had Craft Camp so this week was full of relaxation, catching up with friends, swimming, enjoying the sun and the garden and sleeping in!  The weather has been perfectly Summer-y!  The week started off in the low 90's and got more sticky as it progressed.  That made for perfect swimming weather!  I also love how easy Summer meals are at the end of a long, hot day!  Nothing screams Summer to me than an easy, healthy cold dinner!

 

We mix it up a bit but in general, we have plenty of garden salads, veggies, fruit, hummus, tabouli and lentil salads.  It's just sort of "grab and go" and everybody is filled and satisfied!

One of our favorite sides is Mediterranean Lentil Salad!

1 cup dry brown lentils

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

In a saucepan combine lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy.

Drain lentils and vegetables and remove bay leaf. Add olive oil, lemon juice, celery, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss to mix and serve at room temperature.

This lasts for about a week in the fridge, but we don't usually have it around that long!