There are a few reasons why I chose to make this recipe.
1. Frankly, I’m sick of making popsicles.
2. I had a whole bunch of plain yogurt in my fridge that needed to get used up. I bought the dill specifically for this reason: I have been wanting to make raita/something to dip my baby carrots in on a hot day for a while now, so with some leftover raita this recipe is a two-fer. Two birds, one stone.
3. I also had this huge bag of lentils from when we first moved in that we haven’t used and was starting to feel guilty about it, oddly enough. Is there such a thing as chef’s guilt? For not using what you’ve got before it starts to go bad (like the chard and beets sitting in my veggie drawer as I type)? Even with non-perishables? Because if so, I have it.
4. For the first time in almost two months of living in my new spot, it was the first night that I had the entire place to myself. The boyfriend, roommate and puppy went camping for Ryan’s birthday, and since I had a Plate & Pitchfork event the next day, I couldn’t go. I enjoy cooking no matter who’s home, but the fact that I had the place to myself that night meant that I could go on a cooking spree uninhibited and uninterrupted. What’s further, I could cook whatever I wanted because I would be the only one eating it. I’d be surprised to find myself in the majority opinion of the household when it comes to lentils normally, but this night was different.
5. Look at the size of these spinach leaves from our neighbor’s veggie garden! How could I not include these in the recipe?! They are so awesome.
Lentil Cakes with Cucumber Dill Raita
Yields: 8-10 small to medium sized lentil cakes
Ingredients
Raita:
- 1-2 cups of yogurt, must be PLAIN
- 2 Tbsp. Vegannaise, or plain mayo (I prefer the taste of Vegannaise and it’s much healthier)
- Half a cucumber, skin-on and thinly sliced and julienned (with a mandolin if you have one. If not, try to mince the cucumber as thinly as possible)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh dill, chopped
- a handful of capers, chopped
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- Optional: a few splashes of hot sauce of your choosing (I added Secret Aardvark Habanero hot sauce and it worked perfectly to add a hint of residual spiciness)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Lentil Cakes:
- 1 cup organic lentils
- 1 cup brown rice
- Half an onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- a nice sprinkle of chili flakes
- 1 cap-full of apple cider vinegar, for lentils
- olive oil for sauteing
- salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for cooking, preferably a higher smoking point oil. I used a few tablespoons of pork lard that I rendered in a slow-cooker a while back and have kept stored in the freezer. It works amazingly well for cooking pancakes, grilled cheeses, and in baking for pie crusts, etc. It makes it much easier to avoid burning what you’re cooking, and as an added bonus you add a very slight bacon-y flavor to whatever you’re cooking. I don’t expect you to have lard on hand, however I do recommend looking into it for future recipes)
- optional: a handful of golden raisins or dried apricots, chopped. (I actually used about a tablespoon of homemade apricot preserves I had made a few weeks ago that worked very well in this recipe)
Start by soaking the lentils on very low heat in salted water for an hour or two. During this time you can prepare the Raita. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir well to combine and throw back in the refrigerator. Drain the lentils, add fresh (salt added) water and cook according to package directions. 
At the same time, cook rice according to package directions on a separate burner. 
When the lentils are firm and starting to “pop”, remove from heat, add a splash of apple cider vinegar and stir to incorporate fully (don’t add too much, just maybe a cap-full, because any more than that is overpowering). 
Allow the lentils and rice to cool down while you saute the sliced onion in olive oil, and when translucent add the chopped fresh spinach, curry powder, salt and pepper and stir until well incorporated and nicely wilted. 
In a large bowl, combine the lentils, brown rice, onion/spinach mix (and raisins, dried apricots, or apricot preserves if you’d like). 
Add the eggs as well (it would have been smarter of me to combine the eggs in a small bowl and whip before adding them to the mix beforehand) and stir to incorporate fully.
In a saute pan, heat the oil or lard until sizzling hot (my trick is to soak my hand with water from the sink and “throw” the residual water into the pan to see if it sizzles. If not, be patient for a few minutes then try again, and if so then it’s ready to go). 
Add the lentil “batter” to the pan, forming small palm-sized circular patties. It’s important to keep in mind that they are fragile and prone to break or split easily. Do not to mess with them too early or else they will break, but also keep a patient yet diligent eye on them so as to prevent burning. This can be tricky, but I suggest letting them sit on each side for 4-5 minutes and then flipping them very carefully in between. As with pancakes, once each batch is finished, place them carefully on a plate and keep them in a warmed oven until completely finished.
Place 2 to 3 on a each plate, and top with the chilled Raita. Serve with a lemon wedge and maybe some extra fresh dill if you have left over, which you should.
What I love about this recipe is that there’s so much room for playfulness here. You can add almost anything you’d like to the cakes, whether it’s broccoli, kale, cilantro, zucchini, chopped apples, flax seeds, nutritional yeast, etc. Its a great canvas for exploration, and I suggest, if you are interested in making a similar recipe, that you do add your own twist to it. I’d love to hear your ideas or suggestions.
I never expected to find myself at a lake in the middle of Michigan. I never expected to fall in love with this place either, let alone visit here at all. But I did, three times over.
The lake is called Higgins, and it’s where the Gillespie family has called their summertime home for over three generations.
With each visit I am shown again of the unwavering generosity and warmest of welcomes.
To visit Lake Higgins is to take a step back in time, to a slower pace unconcerned with life’s most consuming trivialities. Anyone is invited, everyone pitches in, and nobody’s counting. Out there, it’s about the simplest forms of enjoyment, and enjoyment there is to be had. It’s a gift alone to be a part of it.
I followed the recipe once I returned home to Portland.
Add salt to water, combine and add to vegetables. Let sit overnight. Drain and rinse lightly.
