Puy Lentils with sherry vinaigrette and poached egg

So I ate this before I managed to get a picture of it. Anyway, it was tasty. I was wondering what to eat for lunch yesterday, and it was already 1:30 or so, so I looked in the pantry and found some French Lentilles du Puy. These are lovely little dark green lentils flecked with grey, have a wonderful firm texture, and hold their shape well, in addition to having a wonderful earthy flavor.

Figuring I could do something with them for lunch, I rinsed off half a cup, put them in a small saucepan, covered them with water and turned on the heat, then wandered back to Facebook for the next twenty minutes or so.

Returning to the kitchen, I found eggs, dijon mustard, some nice sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. I made a quick vinaigrette (spot of dijon, a splash each of the vinegars, some salt and pepper, whisk until combined, drizzle in olive oil while whisking until it's thick and creamy) and dressed the lentils with about half of it. At the same time, I was heating up water with salt and vinegar to poach an egg.

I slipped the egg out of its teacup into the swirling, gently boiling water, watching the whites gather around the yolk. Giving it another gentle stir to keep the mass moving around the pot and glancing at the clock, I turned my attention back to the lentils. Tasting them, I added a bit more salt and pepper, gave them a final stir, and dumped them onto my plate. By this time, the egg had been simmering away for about three minutes, so I carefully fished it out of the water, drained it on a paper towel, and placed it in the center of its lentil nest, before drizzling it with the rest of the vinaigrette, and topping it with salt and pepper.

Simple, delicious, and I didn't have to go out and buy any ingredients. That's a win in my book. Next time, I think I'll throw a bay leaf and some chopped shallot in with the lentils.

Introducing Tiny Kitchen in Dearborn

Since finishing college and starting to live on my own, I really haven't done very much cooking beyond meeting my basic need for sustenance. This is unfortunate, because I used to love cooking. I think a big part of the enjoyment I received from cooking came from having housemates to cook for; without someone with whom to share the food I make, I lose much of the enjoyment of the process.

Hopefully by starting this blog, I can share a meal or two with you every week. This is mainly selfish, because the main goal here is to make a couple of post-worthy meals every week; I'm going to be the one eating those meals, but I will post photographs and recipes so that you, my dear reader, can try them and join me in enjoying a delicious meal.