Thursday, May 31, 2012

French Fridays with Dorie: Lentil, Lemon, and Tuna Salad



LOVELY LENTIL, LEMON, AND TUNA SALAD  LETTUCE WRAPS
 This week's salad has strong overtones of a recent Dorie cooking project also with lentils and fish: salmon.

This salad meal was healthy, but not exciting.   My grandkiddies came to swim and enjoyed a cookout which included a side of today's salad.  The opportunity was taken to introduce them, once again, to lentils with the bribe of chocolate truffle cookies if they ate their portions.

For patio dining, I turned this lentil-tuna salad into lettuce wraps which could be eaten by hand.  First we  portioned out pretty rounded amounts of lentils and then of tuna salad and added chopped veges.  Next, we tried layering these foods and found the easier method to look just as lovely.

ALL INGREDIENTS LAYERED ON MAKES A HEALTHY SIDE
To make the lentils a little more flavorful I added chopped onion and carrots.  The tuna was made into a tuna salad with mayo, sweet pickles, onion, lemon, and seasonings.  I'm sure the whole idea conforms to the given recipe well enough.

The chocolate truffle cookies were exciting, however, and did the trick.  Everyone cleaned their lentils and earned their cookies.
 
DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES

KRIS'  CHEWY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES:
Yield: 40 using my smallest ice cream type scoop...about 1 Tablespoon of dough

First, line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Beat together until thick ribbon stage:
2 large eggs
2 1/3 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon honey

Melt together in microwave and stir until smooth:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 Tablespoons butter

Combine:
2.75 oz almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cocoa

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and combine.

Stir 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.  Then gently fold the rest of the egg mixture into the chocolate until well combined, making sure to keep the mixture aerated.

Chill until firm, about 1 hour....REALLY FIRM!

Scoop out the dough and roll each dough ball in sugar, place on baking sheet and place in freezer.  When dough balls are frozen solid, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Keep these cookies in the fridge especially in AZ...they love to be eaten cold.

If any cookies are left over...very doubtful...they keep well in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 weeks.   Nice to have on hand for rewards including for myself.

ENJOY!




14 comments:

  1. I should try bribing my kids with chocolate cookies ;) Love the way you styled your salads, Kris...so pretty!

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  2. I did think back to Dorie's salmon recipe as well. Which made me realize I think I prefer my lentils warm instead of cold. Great colorful salad!

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  3. I like the lettuce wrap idea :-)
    I have always found dessert to be a great bribe - for both young and old...

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  4. how exciting that you made these into "endive cups" !! :) looks great!

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  5. Well who can focus on lentils with those delicious cookies stealing the spotlight? They look like the perfect bribery.

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  6. Forget the lentils - I want one of those cookies!!!

    Actually, I like the lettuce wraps - very healthy and a nice presentation.

    I have lots of almond flour from my brief period of delusion that I could make Macarons! So I will give your gorgeous cookies a try.

    Have a lovely weekend!

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  7. Your lettuce wraps are so cute! I really want to try those chocolate truffle cookies. They remind me of chocolate crinkles, but without the gluten.

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  8. I wonder if bribing my husband with chocolate cookies would work? Love how you served the lentils...lettuce wraps such a Bonne Idee!! Have a wonderful weekend, Kris!

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  9. Your presentation is beautiful! What a great idea. Cookies look yummy too! :)

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  10. I'll be saving the cookie recipe ... they were to my liking. :)

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  11. Krissy, I think your Post should have read, "To make the lentils a little more flavorful, I made chocolate truffle cookies!!!!! That could have been your Lead/Title. Hats off to your grandchildren for trying the lentils. I'd have gone straight for the cookies which look delicious. I am back in Henderson for 2 weeks and the temperature is 108 degrees here today. I know you are hot, hot, hot in Arizona. I think anything we cook which involved a stove we should get gold stars and blue ribbons. So, Grandma, making those cookies was pretty special.

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  12. You know it is so funny to read about the "bribes" - I "bribed" my kids all the time and it worked like a charm, well, most of the time at least - I now look at "bribes" from a different angle and call them "reward". And no matter what I call them, they still work, well, most of the time...

    Your lentil lettuce wraps loaded with all those veggies look like wonderful summerfare! What a nice idea!

    And a big thank you for the wonderful and kind comments that you left on my blog! I really appreciated them!

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  13. WOW! Those truffle cookies look great!! FYI: I want some. :)

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  14. Okay, I HAVE to make those cookies! I would totally eat those over the salad any day. :) Your salad does look good and healthy and I am sure was delicious, but given the choice between the two - chocolate would win out for sure.

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