FOOD: Mujaddara and green salad with sesame dressing.
Mujaddara is a simple Middle Eastern dish of lentils, rice and onions. Mujaddara translates to pockmarked, which should not be a deterrent. There are different versions across the region, with the ratio of rice to lentils to onions varying from place to place. Some regions also use different spices, but the basis stays the same: rice, lentils, onions. The choice of butter or oil also varies, but generally I like to use butter because of the flavour that it brings to the dish. Replacing that with oil, however, makes it a standalone vegan dish.
Mince meat is sometimes added to the base and when cooked like this it is almost a complete meal. Mujaddara is rarely served by itself, however: it is usually an element of a couple of dishes served at the same time.
I tend to cook this dish only in the warmer months. I like to prepare it and let it sit at room temperature while I grill some meats or prepare some other salads to serve alongside.
One salad I have also enjoyed making this summer is based on a Japanese sesame dressing that I once bought from an Asian grocery. During my holiday break I attempted to come up with my own version. I prefer my homemade version because it doesn’t contain any of the necessary preservatives and flavour enhancements found in most store-bought dressings or vinaigrettes.
I’ve always avoided store-bought dressings as I find they lack personality or depth of flavour, with the exception of the sesame dressing, of course. When
I make a dressing or vinaigrette at home I usually make a little bit more than I need. What I don’t use, I cover and leave for another meal later in the week.
Vinaigrettes and dressings need not be used only in salads. I often dress roast vegetables, for example, with a vinaigrette. When I roast a chicken, I usually roast it with potatoes, garlic and carrots. When the chicken is cooked, I set it aside to rest. I like to make a vinaigrette with some of the cooking juices, plenty of lemon juice, fresh oregano and chopped garlic. I season this and then dress the carrot and potatoes with the dressing. The vegetables quickly soak up these flavours and require about 10 minutes to rest for the flavours to develop.
The same can be done with another salad of broccoli or broccolini, which is quickly blanched and then grilled on the barbecue to get a nice charred flavour. I leave this to cool to room temperature before dressing with the sesame dressing from the recipe here.