Red Lentils, Salsa Recipe: From 4th & Swift, Atlanta

A: Jay Swift is one of Atlanta’s most generous chefs, always glad to share recipes. For this dish, he uses red lentils, which are widely available at natural food stores and Indian groceries. He provides alternative directions if you prefer to use French lentils.

Piquillo peppers are a sweet pepper with little or no heat. They are roasted and then packed into jars and can be found in the gourmet aisle of some grocery stores or at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. Swift garnishes this dish with grilled peppers and micro herbs.

4th & Swift’s Spicy Lentils and Salsa

Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 40 minutes, depending on lentils Serves: 6

1 pound French or red lentils

1/2 cup Spicy Lentil Salsa (see recipe), more if needed

In a large saucepan, cover lentils with 2 inches of water and cook until just done. If using red lentils, start testing after 15 minutes. If using French lentils, begin testing after 30 minutes. When lentils are just tender, drain, allow to cool and refrigerate.When ready to serve, put cooked lentils in serving bowl and add 1/2 cup dressing. Lentils should be wet, but not drenched. Serve them cold or heat them up.

Per serving: 302 calories (percent of calories from fat, 15), 21 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrates, 23 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 138 milligrams sodium.

4th and Swift’s Spicy Lentil Salsa

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes, plus overnight to chill Makes: 2 cups

This recipe makes more than needed for the lentil salad. The remaining sauce can be used to dress other grain salads or as an accompaniment for grilled meat. Another idea? Pour it over your next meatloaf before baking.

6 tablespoons canned San Marzano tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

3 shallots, minced

1 large clove garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon minced piquillo peppers

1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 tablespoons cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Sriracha

2 tablespoons sesame oil

In the jar of a blender, combine tomatoes, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, cilantro, shallots, garlic, peppers, ginger and cumin. Blend until smooth. Add olive oil, Sriracha and sesame oil and blend until just mixed. Refrigerate mixture overnight. The next day, strain through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until ready to use.

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 32 calories (percent of calories from fat, 85), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 98 milligrams sodium.