Grilling Cheese with Sweet Peppers & Lentils
This dish works well in any season, on the barbecue or on the stovetop. Grilling cheeses - halloumi, paneer, feta or bread cheese, don't melt when they're heated. The light dressing tossed over all the ingredients makes this a vegetarian dinner, adapted from Epicurious, an easy winner.
More lentil dishes:Roasted Mushroom/Vegetables with Braised Lentils, Warm Lentil and Potato Salad with Feta or Cheese, Moroccan Lentils (Mudajara ) - Instant Pot & Stove
Ingredients
Kosher salt
3/4 cup brown, green or black beluga lentils
3 tablespoon. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. grilling cheese (such as Halloumi, paneer or bread), torn or sliced into 2" pieces
1 lb. sweet mini peppers, ribs and seeds removed, halved lengthwise, cut into slices as desired
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup (packed) basil leaves, torn or chopped if large
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Method
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook until just tender but not falling apart (they should hold their shape), about 20 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, honey, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl to combine; season with kosher salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.
There are two options for grilling the cheese. Either 1.) Brush a barbecue grill with olive oil Heat the grill to medium high. Brush the cheese slices with olive oil. Place the slices crossways on the grill and cook until browned and crispy, turning once. OR 2.)On the stovetop, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the cheese and cook, turning occasionally, until heated through and brown and crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes total. (Some varieties of paneer are made without salt; if using one of these, season your pieces of cheese while cooking.) Transfer to a plate.
There are two ways to grill the sweet peppers. Either 1.) Slice the peppers and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the oregano and season with Kosher salt and pepper. Grill over medium high until the skins are blistered and brown. OR 2.)On the stovetop, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to same pan as was used to cook the cheese, then add the sweet peppers and oregano. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and cook over medium-high, stirring and pressing down occasionally on sweet peppers with a wooden spoon so they make good contact with the pan, until softened and blistered in spots, 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss the dressing over the warm lentils and reserved dressing and combine, well. Then toss in the cheese and the sweet peppers so the dressing coats them..
Serving suggestion: Lay a bed of spinach on a plate, then add the lentils and the peppers, followed by the cheese. Decorate with chopped basil. Season with sea salt and more black pepper, if desired, although Halloumi cheese is salty enough. Alternately, serve the mixture in bowls.
This dish works well in any season, on the barbecue or on the stovetop. Grilling cheeses - halloumi, paneer, feta or bread cheese, don't melt when they're heated. The light dressing tossed over all the ingredients makes this a vegetarian dinner, adapted from Epicurious, an easy winner.
More lentil dishes:Roasted Mushroom/Vegetables with Braised Lentils, Warm Lentil and Potato Salad with Feta or Cheese, Moroccan Lentils (Mudajara ) - Instant Pot & Stove
Ingredients
Kosher salt
3/4 cup brown, green or black beluga lentils
3 tablespoon. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. grilling cheese (such as Halloumi, paneer or bread), torn or sliced into 2" pieces
1 lb. sweet mini peppers, ribs and seeds removed, halved lengthwise, cut into slices as desired
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup (packed) basil leaves, torn or chopped if large
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Method
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook until just tender but not falling apart (they should hold their shape), about 20 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, honey, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl to combine; season with kosher salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.
There are two options for grilling the cheese. Either 1.) Brush a barbecue grill with olive oil Heat the grill to medium high. Brush the cheese slices with olive oil. Place the slices crossways on the grill and cook until browned and crispy, turning once. OR 2.)On the stovetop, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the cheese and cook, turning occasionally, until heated through and brown and crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes total. (Some varieties of paneer are made without salt; if using one of these, season your pieces of cheese while cooking.) Transfer to a plate.
There are two ways to grill the sweet peppers. Either 1.) Slice the peppers and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the oregano and season with Kosher salt and pepper. Grill over medium high until the skins are blistered and brown. OR 2.)On the stovetop, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to same pan as was used to cook the cheese, then add the sweet peppers and oregano. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and cook over medium-high, stirring and pressing down occasionally on sweet peppers with a wooden spoon so they make good contact with the pan, until softened and blistered in spots, 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss the dressing over the warm lentils and reserved dressing and combine, well. Then toss in the cheese and the sweet peppers so the dressing coats them..
Serving suggestion: Lay a bed of spinach on a plate, then add the lentils and the peppers, followed by the cheese. Decorate with chopped basil. Season with sea salt and more black pepper, if desired, although Halloumi cheese is salty enough. Alternately, serve the mixture in bowls.