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Lentils with Moroccan spices are incredibly good and simple, and they stand up to a lot of substitutions. Alongside, a raw beet salad makes a sweet, crunchy counterpoint. Sound quality on this is pretty rough — our kitchen has been inhabited by a mysterious hum!

NOT-shopping list

• Brown lentils (or any kind except pink lentils)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red bell pepper
• Tomato paste (or fresh or canned tomato)
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Dry ginger (or fresh, but dry is more typical)
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Paprika (not smoked) or other mild red chili
• Turmeric
• Olive oil
• Raw beet
• Cider vinegar (or other vin, and/or lemon juice)
• Honey
• Mild firm white cheese, such as halloumi (or feta)
• Zaatar (optional)
• Arugula (optional)

Moroccan-Style Lentils

I learned this recipe from Cafe Clock in Fes (though, as I say in the audio, it’s entirely possible I’m not remembering it properly!). It’s a very typical side dish at restaurants and made at home a lot as well. You can do it in a pressure cooker, as most Moroccans do, to make it even faster.

I have made it sometimes without red bell pepper, or without cilantro, without ginger, without onion…it’s always been good! It tastes even better the next day, and it freezes very well, so you could also make a double batch and store some.

Makes 4-5 portions
1 cup brown lentils
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
Large handful each fresh parsley and cilantro (or more — if you need to get rid of some tired herbs)
Olive oil
1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste (or 1 small tomato, chopped, or equivalent canned)
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika (or less of a spicier red chili)
Salt and pepper

Rinse lentils and set aside.

Chop a medium onion (rough or fine, your choice) and the garlic. Cut the bell pepper in 1/4-inch dice. Chop the parsley and cilantro together, quite fine.

In a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably not cast iron, because it could react with the tomato past in the recipe), add enough oil to cover the bottom easily. Turn the heat to medium and layer in the ingredients: onion, garlic, red bell pepper, lentils, then herbs.

On top of this, add the spoonful of tomato paste, and then add the spices, spoonful by spoonful. Lay them out one by one, so you can keep track of what you’ve put in. Add salt (a fair amount) and pepper.

Add enough water to cover everything by about one knuckle depth. No need to stir — just leave as is and cover.

Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender but have not lost their shape. This can take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the lentils’ age and type.

Moroccans usually eat this with soft bread, but it goes well with rice as well.

Raw Beet Salad

As I say in the audio, I recommend this mostly if you have a food processor. Hand grating a beet is a major pain and can be quite messy. But with a fo-pro, it’s short work.

In this particular preparation, I added a little zaatar, which is totally optional. Black olives are a

**If you don’t have a machine, the easiest way to deal with beets is to roast them whole, unpeeled: put them in a small tray with about a tablespoon of water and a drizzle of olive oil, and then cover them tightly with foil and roast at 400 degrees or so until they’re soft. When they’re cool, the skin will slip right off.

Serves 2, with a bit left over
1 medium beet
1 small clove garlic
~2 Tbsp olive oil
~2 Tbsp cider vinegar
Drizzle of honey
Salt and pepper
~2 oz. mild white cheese (mozzarella, halloumi and feta are all good)
Small handful parsley
Small handful arugula (optional)
Large pinch zaatar (optional)

Wash beet and trim ends (no need to peel), then shred in food processor. Chop the garlic clove very fine or run through a press into a small bowl. Mix in the oil, vinegar, optional lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk these together well.

Place the grated beets in a small salad bowl and pour the dressing over and toss to coat.

Depending on the kind of cheese you’re using, cut into small cubes or crumble, and add to the salad bowl. Coarsely chop the parsley and mix in; add the arugula if using.

Add optional zaatar to taste — if you are sensitive to the “dusty” taste of beets, you should go light, or not use it at all, as it seems to bring out that flavor.

Toss all together. Beets can handle sitting for a while in the dressing — so you can make this ahead. But add the herbs later.