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Baked feta and lentils with blackberry vinaigrette
Serves 2 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 200g pre-cooked black lentils, drained
- 100ml good-quality vegetable stock
- 200g block feta
- zest 1 lemon
- 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful hazelnuts
- 2tsp honey
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
For the blackberry vinaigrette
- 75g fresh blackberries (or frozen ones, thawed)
- 1⁄2 small shallot or spring onion, finely chopped
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1tsp honey
Cook's note
- Any leftover lentils can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. To use in a salad, drizzle oil over the florets and roughly chopped stalk of a broccoli head and roast for 25 minutes at 200C/180C F/Gas 6, then combine with the lentils.
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C F/Gas 7. Put the lentils in a small ovenproof dish. Pour the stock over and give it a stir, then distribute the lentils evenly around the dish, making space for the feta in the middle. Put the feta in the space, then scatter the lemon zest and thyme over the dish and drizzle the olive oil over. Put the dish in the middle of the oven, then put the hazelnuts on a small baking tray on the rack below. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the dish and the tray from the oven.
Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Drizzle the honey over the feta, then put the dish under the grill for 4 minutes or until the feta is golden.
Meanwhile, to make the vinaigrette, mash the fresh blackberries in a small bowl with a fork, then add the shallot or spring onion, olive oil, vinegar and honey and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Chop the toasted hazelnuts, then, to serve, put a handful of spinach in 2 serving bowls. Add the lentils, then halve the feta and place on top. Drizzle blackberry vinaigrette over each bowl and finish with a sprinkle of hazelnuts.
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