Red Lentils with Parsley

Time to use up a bunch of parsley.  Also, I got back a cholesterol test.  I've had high cholesterol my whole life, so anything under 250 is a win, but I still make an effort.  It's kind of unfair to run one of those tests any time between Thanksgiving and New Year's anyway.

I served this hot, alongside the pictured broccoli and (still in the oven at time of photo) packaged salmon.  I didn't like this offering from Sea Cuisine as much as the one I made when my cousin was here, but it was still pretty good.  I may have overcooked it.

Still, this was super-easy and counts as a vegan, gluten-free main dish.  I'm really liking red lentils as opposed to green.  They cook like rice, instead of over half an hour for the green ones, and have a less muddy flavor.  Still need a lot of herbs and spices to be interesting, but that's lentils for you.

*2/3 C dry red lentils
3 Tb olive oil, divided
*1/2 C diced onion
*2 ribs celery, diced
*1 bunch parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tb white wine vinegar

1.  Rinse lentils several times, until the soapy residue stops.  Refill saucepan with water to cover by 1".  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until softened and split, about 10-15 minutes.

2.  In a skillet, heat 1 Tb oil over medium.  Add celery and onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Chop parsley.  Mix together vinegar, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 Tb of oil to make a dressing.

3.  Drain cooked lentils and add to skillet.  Stir together with onion mix.  Remove from heat and stir in parsley.  Toss with dressing.  Serve hot or cold.

Difficulty rating  π