French Lentil Salad with Halibut

I never had lentils until a few years ago when I discovered their health benefits and versitility. Now that you can purchase cooked lentils (two varieties) at Trader Joe's there's no reason not to make them a regular part of your diet. You used to have to cook them for an hour before serving, but now you can make a gourmet meal any night using lentils. Below is a recipe Phil served us in Bouder recently. The ingredients he added to the lentils were whatever he had in the house that night. You can vary it dozens of ways.

French Lentil Salad with Halibut

1 package cooked French lentils (available at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup shaved fennel
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 T. chopped mint
2 T. chopped parsley
1/4 c. chopped artichoke hearts (packed in water)

Combine above ingredients, adding more or less of any ingredient, depending on taste. Add lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and toss. If you prefer, replace lemon juice with balsamic vinegar.

Cook 4oz pieces of halibut, seasoned with salt and pepper, in a little oil on top of the stove. Do not overcook. Cook until halibut separates and flakes.

Place lentil mixture on plate and place halibut on top. In the 15 minutes it takes to prepare this dish, you have a healthy, gourmet meal. Enjoy.