A Simple Lunch

Roasted Sausages with Grapes and Onions on a Bed of French Green Lentils Studded with Feta Cheese and Infused with Herbs and Veggies.

I get overwhelmed easily. A superpower I’ve developed over the years is how to break a project down. I start at the end and work backwards. The end goal is to have a tasty meal completed so I don’t have to do a big cook after a long day at work. I broke this meal down into two days. Day one was prepping and making the French green lentils. Day two was the sheet pan roasting. Can you do it in one day? Of course. Either way, it’s a filling meal that will leave you with some leftovers for lunch later in the week. 

INGREDIENTS

Lentils

• 1 cup french green lentils, rinsed

• 3 cups vegetable stock or water

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, peeled and diced

• 1 carrot, washed, peeled and chopped

• 1 rib of celery, washed and chopped

• 1 tablespoon thyme, coarsely chopped 

• 1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 1/2 cup cubed / crumbled Dodoni feta cheese 

• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Sausage with Grapes and Onions

• 1 large white onion, sliced thinly

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 cups seedless red grapes, washed, destemmed

• 4 sausage links, pricked all over with a fork

• salt and pepper to your taste

INSTRUCTIONS 
MAKE (night before)

Lentils
In a small pot, heat olive oil. Add diced onion. Sauté for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add carrots and celery, stirring to incorporate. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add lentils and stir, making sure all ingredients combine. Add stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 17-20 minutes. Cook until tender but not mushy. Drain any excess liquid. Return lentils to pot. While lentils are still warm add chopped herbs, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let cool. 

MAKE (in the AM)

Roasted Sausage with Grapes
Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss onions, 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onions in an even layer. Roast 10 minutes. Remove pan from the oven. With a spatula, push roasted onions to the center of the pan to create a nest. Add grapes and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place sausages in the center of the pan. Roast until sausage has browned, 25 minutes. Flip sausage and toss onions and grapes halfway through. 

PRO TIP: add crumbled feta cheese to lentil mixture just before serving.