Easy Lentil Salad

I woke up thinking about dinner. Actually, thinking about a solution for the two nights a week that I work late. My best intentions to throw together a salad are often foiled by a hankering for pizza or popcorn, which means my quality sleep a few hours later is interrupted by the hearty digestion process that drags into the night (translation: No self-control with either one). Time to take action, which in this case, meant browsing favorite healthy cooking sites for a pretty food pic with ingredients I had on hand, like carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, nuts, beans, cheese, and some berries.

Success! I found a lentil dish on Skinnytaste.com’s site and had enough ingredients on hand to make a modified version. Her’s looks yummy, and mine turned out pretty awesome as a quick, filling dinner, with enough leftovers for a few more meals. Follow the link for the original, or make one that works with your kitchen ingredients right now.  Here's my version:

Lentil Salad

1 cup dry lentils, cooked until firm, about 10 mins.

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1 cup diced carrots

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

4 basil leaves, rolled and sliced

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste