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Make this oriental lentil casserole with bacon, carrots, beets and raisins, and sprinkle it with cinnamon for an unusual but extraordinary flavour combination.

In many cultures lentils (and peas) symbolize abundance and fortune, therefore one must eat it at the beginning of the New Year to ensure their own and their family’s prosperity in the year to come.

Due to this tradition my family’s obligatory lunch on January 1st always had lentil soup. Which as a kid I hated. My sisters and I tried to boycott my mom’s lentil soup, but the responsibility of the whole family’s fortune resting on our eating a bowl of lentil soup was too much, so we grumbled but ate it. Thankfully my mom heard our complaints and experimented with other dishes containing lentil and that’s how this oriental lentil casserole entered our lives. It was instant success the first time she made it: not just us kids, but my dad as well asked for seconds. To this day it’s a favourite in our house, and my mom never has to listen to me or my sisters grumble about having to eat lentil anymore.

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For a quick and light lunch or dinner nothing better than healthy, protein packed fish baked with lemon and thyme for a fresh yet delicious Mediterranean taste. Best with salad or grilled vegetables, especially fresh or grilled tomatoes, which complement the fish wonderfully!

Sadly I don’t make fish that often at home, and one of the main reasons for that is that I fear having that lingering fish smell in the house. You know that smell you just can’t get rid of even after hours of airing the house and having left the kitchen windows open. Well this recipe just showed me that cooking (or baking) fish doesn’t need to be smelly.

I love how quick and easy this recipe is: you put everything (the fish, the onion, lemon and thyme) in a dish, cover well with tin foil (not only will it keep the smell in, but it makes the fish incredibly juicy and flavourful as well) and bake for about 12-20 minutes depending on your oven and the thickness of the fish fillet, leaving you enough time to make a salad, grill some vegetables or steam some rice, and bam! Your lucnh/dinner is ready to be savoured!

A delicious, healthy and flavourful meal ready in less than 30 minutes. It doesn’t get better than that, does it?…

Oriental Lentil Casserole

Baked Fish with Lemon and Thyme