RED LENTIL AND BULGUR SALAD BALLS IN LETTUCE CUPS (WW Core Plan-Compatible)

I adapted this recipe (with what I had in the house) from "Eating Well" magazine. I thought I had ruined it because I over-cooked the split lentils, so that they were mushy (to be fair-- this is very easy to do, since they cook so quickly!). The salad kind of stuck together like a pate. But I cooled it in the refrigerator and hoped for the best-- fortunately. It was more solid than a salad would be, so I decided to roll balls of it (loose balls) in the beautiful butter lettuce that we had just purchased here on Denman from Piercy Farms. Served with a bit more lettuce topped with juicy sliced grapefruit and olives (with a couple of sundried tomatoes on the side) in a balsamic vinaigrette, it was a filling and easy dinner for a hot summer evening! It was also delicious-- DH loved it!

RED LENTIL AND BULGUR SALAD BALLS WITH DRIED FRUIT IN BUTTER LETTUCE CUPS (WW CORE PLAN COMPATIBLE)

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 cup split red lentils
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pitted dates (I used 1/2 dates and half prunes)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (I used 1/2 apricots and 1/2 dried cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup dry-toasted cashews, chopped (OPTIONAL)
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbs grated lime zest
(you could use lemon instead-- I just happened to have fresh limes)
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned, spun and crisped well in the refrigerator

Bring water, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in bulgur, remove from the heat, cover the pan and set aside until the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, combine lentils and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are mushy, like dahl, and don't drain them.

Add lentils, dried fruit, parsley, mint, optional cashews, oil, lime juice and zest to the bulgur. Toss well and chill for several hours.

When ready to serve, scoop out loose balls of salad and place them in crisp leaves of butter lettuce to serve. (I also added a dollop of my lowfat vegan mayonnaise which I had blended with a bunch of fresh basil and a bit of garlic, but that's optional.)

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 259.0 calories; 18% calories from fat; 5.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 90.3mg sodium; 588.6mg potassium; 48.9g carbohydrates; 8.1g fiber; 10.0g sugar; 40.9g net carbs; 8.4g protein; 4.8 points.

Enjoy!