Sauteed Beet Greens with Herby Lentils and Feta

For the lentils:

1cup (250ml) dried green French lentils

1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice

¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

½ cup (125ml) diced red onion

For the beet greens:

1 bunch beet greens, washed well and patted dry

2 tablespoon (25ml) olive oil

½ (2ml) teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon (2ml) red chilli flakes

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

to finish:

1 cup (250ml) chopped fresh herbs – try a mixture, or just one of the following: flat leaf parsley, dill or mint

salt and pepper to taste

100g feta cheese, crumbled - optional

Cook lentils according to package instructions. Drain well. While lentils are cooking, combine lemon juice, olive oil, onion and salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss well with warm lentils and set aside.

Chop beet greens - both stems and greens - into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a large fry pan. Add greens and salt – greens will spatter briefly. Stir continuously until colours brighten and leaves just become wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and chilli flakes and sauté 30 seconds more. Stir balsamic vinegar through leaves and remove pan from the heat.

Add lentils to greens along with herbs. Season with salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Top with feta if desired.

-most wintry greens will work in this recipe: spinach (trim any long stems), kale (discard the tough spine) swiss chard or mustard greens.

-serve this dish straight up or alongside something more substantial, like pork medallions with apples and cream.

Serves 6