Chorizo, Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

I like payday. I particularly enjoy going food shopping on payday, it's a nice break from my usual frugal ways. Cashed up and optimistic with possibilities. One time I bought mint choc chip gelato, another time it was $15 worth of proscuitto, but this time? This time it was chorizo and halo uni. Usually by the time I've unpacked the shopping, my euphoria has worn off and I realise I've planned all the meals out for the week and don't actually have anything to use my splurge in. This time, half a sausage went into a sunday afternoon platter shared between BF and myself, while the haloumi was added to a sweet potato salad to accomplay a lamb road dinner to welcome my brother-in-law (BIL) to the West Coast. The rest of the chorizo was sliced up and divided into sensible servings and frozen. And THAT is how this sensible week night recipe came about.

Makes: Dinner for 2

Ingredients: 

Small - Medium Sweet Potato

1/2 cup cooked and dressed french lentils (see note)

salt and pepper to taste

Mixed lettuce 

Chorizo sausage

8 cherry tomatoes

greek feta

lemon juice

parsley

3 cloves garlic

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons toasted pinenuts

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 200dc. Peal and slice sweet potato into 1/3 centimetre thickness. Place in single layer on lined (but not oiled) baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and cook on top shelf. Check after 10 minutes and flip potato over. Bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown and puffy and flip over once more. Bake further 10 minutes (or until slightly darkened and puffy). Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Pan fry chorizo in 1/2 tbsp olive oil until crispy and red oil begins to form. Remove chorizo, and on low heat sautee minced garlic in remaining flavoured oil until fragrant. Take off heat and add juice of1/2 lemon. Set aside.

3. To assemble, scatter lettuce evenly across plate, top with lentils, pinenuts, tomato, spring onion and feta. Pile chorizo and baked sweet potato on top and dress with garlic lemon oil. Serve immediately 

Note: The first time I made this I servied it with poached eggs to up the protein, but this time I decided to try it out with lentils and I have to say the lentils won out! Feel free to use tinned french lentils and dress them with salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. I follow The Kitchn's direction to make perfectly flavoured french lentils. They recommend using bay leaf, but after making a round of lasagnes I was all out so used fresh rosemary sprigs in place which was euqally as aromatic and flavoursome.