I started off this lovely Wednesday with Multigrain Hot Cereal. We usually have oatmeal for breakfast, but when I was at Trader Joe’s the other day, I was intrigued by the box of mixed grains, including Rye, Barley, Oats and Wheat. I made it the same way I make my oatmeal, and was happy with the way it turned out. Usually, I add some kind of fruit to my oatmeal (most often a chopped up apple or banana), but today, I had my cereal plain, with just a few sprinkles of cinnamon. It was delicious and held me over well.
For lunch, we had left over Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo from last night. My mom was over and had lunch with us, which was great!
On the menu today for dinner was Roasted Halibut with Mediterranean Lentils and Olives. The recipe is made in three parts:
- The halibut is roasted in the oven.
- The lentils are stewed on the stovetop.
- The red bell peppers are sauteed on the stovetop.
It will be helpful, for planning purposes, to know ahead of time that these three things are happening at the same time. 
Without further ado, here is the recipe.
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Ingredients
Lentils
- 1 ½ cups green lentils
- 3 cups cool water
- 1/2/ large onion, cut into 1/2 –inch pieces
- 5 garlic cloves, minced (3 for lentils, 2 for peppers)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for tossing with the lentils after cooking)
- 8 green olives, pitted and cut into quarters
- 8 black olives, pitted and cut into quarters
- Pepper and a little salt to taste (Note: The olives have salt.)
Halibut
- 1 pound, 4 ounces halibut, skinned and cut into 4 equal portions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for sprinkling on top)
- Pepper and a little salt (on fish prior to roasting)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (for sprinkling on top)
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (to add aroma during cooking)
Red Peppers
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Pepper and a little salt to taste
Instructions
Note: Numbers 3, 4 & 5 are all done at the same time.
1. Place the green lentils in a medium mixing bowl, cover with warm water, and let stand for 30 minutes. This can be done in the morning before work. Then strain and rinse before beginning cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F for the halibut.
3. Place a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the lentils, 3 cups of water, onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan. Cook lentils for 30- to 40-minutes, until the lentils are slightly firm (not mushy and not grainy), stirring occasionally. Lentils should have a slight bite.
4. In a roasting pan, place the halibut, rubbed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sprinkled with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lay the thyme on the pan. Roast for 35-45 minutes (If the halibut is 1 inch thick or less, cook for less time, if the halibut is 1 ½ inches or more, cook for more time.). Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Place the bell pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and do not let it burn. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
6. Strain the lentils, remove the sprigs of thyme, place in a sauté pan over low heat, and toss with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the olives. Season with pepper and salt and set aside.
I hope you enjoy tonight’s recipe. Although I’m still working on the calorie count for this dish, I ought to mention that it is a little bit higher than our usual recipes, but if you cut out some of the oil, etc., it will be better. I’ll make some changes and update the recipe on the Recipes page.
Take care, everyone, and have a great evening!
