Goat’s Cheese Salad with Beetroot and Lentils

FEATURING MONJAY MEZZA’S MARINATED GOATS CHEESE BALLS

Not much needs to be done to enjoy our products, Break open a packet of your favourite crackers or cut a carrot into batons and dip away. Or simply arrange our delicious finger foods on a platter and watch them crowd around. But the potential of our range is so much more, and we want to prove it. So we've created our very own recipe page to show you the versatility of our products. Dips to marinate or bake with, finger food transformed into main meals - the limit is your imagination.

SERVES: 1 – 2

Let’s get some things straight. Salads don’t have to be side dishes, they don’t have to be green, and they most certainly can be filling. Our goat’s cheese salad with beetroot and lentils is case in point. It’s warm and earthy thanks to the beetroot, filling and nourishing thanks to the lentils, and creamy and rich thanks to our own goat’s cheese balls.

If you think beetroots are fiddly and always leave you with purple fingertips, fear not – we have a full proof, easy cooking method that will leave you stain-free (and can be done ahead of time).

This is obviously a great mid-week dinner dish when you don’t have much time to cook but still want something filling, tasty and nutritious. But it’s also a great work lunch option as it can be eaten cold, so consider doubling the ingredients so you have enough left over.

Ingredients

200 grams of beetroot
Olive oil
1 shallot or a small red onion
A clove of garlic
100 grams of Puy lentils
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
1 small red apple
6 walnuts, roughly chopped
100 grams of Monjay’s Marinated Goats Cheese Balls
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Start by preparing the beetroot – and once you’ve done it this way, you always will.
Top and tail the beetroot and give them a scrub if they’re particularly dirty. Wrap them individually in foil, then pop them into the oven for around 45 minutes to an hour, or until a skewer slips through them easily. Once cool, the skin should slip off easily. Slice into small wedges.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and begin sweating the shallot. Peel the garlic and crush in a mortar and pestle with a little salt. Add to the onion.

Add the lentils, 300 ml of water, the herbs, a level teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are cooked. If the lentils need more cooking, add a little more water. Turn off the heat and remove the herbs.

Core and slice the apple, leaving the skin on.

Put the lentils on to a wide serving dish. Top with the beetroot wedges and apple slices and spoon over dollop of the goats cheese. Scatter with the walnuts. Combine the sherry vinegar with three tablespoons of olive oil in a jar, screw the lid on and give it a vigorous shake. Pour over the salad and serve.

Monjay Mezza is the home of traditional Middle Eastern Dips, Finger Food and Desserts.