Bulgur Lentil Salad

I got this recipe off the New York Times' 'Recipes For Health' website. Every week they focus on an ingredient, talk a little about it, and give a few recipes for it. This week's was bulgur, which I hadn't cooked with before.

"The best lentils for this hearty salad are French green lentils or black beluga lentils. They’re more likely to stay intact while cooking than brown lentils."

• 1 cup green or beluga lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 2 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup fine or medium bulgur
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (more to taste)
• 4 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine the lentils, onion, garlic and bay leaf in a saucepan, and add 2 to 3 cups water, enough to cover by an inch or two. Bring to a gentle boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes until tender but intact. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the onion, garlic cloves and bay leaf. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a medium bowl, and add salt to taste. Cover with 2 cups hot or boiling water, and allow to sit for 20 to 25 minutes until most of the water is absorbed. Drain through a strainer and squeeze out the water.

3. Combine the lentils, bulgur, scallions, radishes, parsley and mint in a large bowl or salad bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, and the olive oil. Toss with the salad, and serve.

Yield: Serves six."

I used French Lentils, grapeseed oil instead of olive oil, cut the amount of shallots in half, and forgot about the parsley. It's a nice, bright, hearty yet light salad. I especially like the use of shallots, as they're much milder than red onions. I would definitely make this one again.