LENTIL SALAD WITH SMOKED SALMON..

Makes: 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
1 stick celery, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
1 pound lentils {du Puy if you can find them; small green French lentils if you can't}
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 quart vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups cooked quinoa
4 small handfuls arugula
6 ounces smoked salmon, chopped into small pieces

1. Make lentils: Put olive oil, onion and garlic in a large, deep pot, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let this cook until the onions become translucent, 5 to 10 minutes, then add celery. Let this cook, stirring every now and then, until the celery begins to just slightly soften, about 5 minutes. Now toss in the carrot cubes. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, then add lentils, bay leaves, tomato paste, and vegetable stock. You may need to add 2 to 4 cups of water at this point, to make sure you've got 4 inches of liquid over the lentils. Cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Taste lentils for doneness and seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and refrigerate.
2. To make your jarred salads, put 1 cup of lentils in the bottom of each of 4 {2-cup} jars, topped with 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Now add a small handful of arugula to each, and 1/4 serving of the smoked salmon {1 1/2 ounces for each one}.

Nutritional analysis per serving:

721 calories; 15 grams fat; 105 grams carbohydrates; 58 grams protein; 10 milligrams cholesterol; 543 milligrams sodium; 39 grams dietary fiber; 17 percent of calories from fat.