Lentil Salad

Rinse, drain, and pick over the lentils. Place in a sauce pan and cover with 2 inches of water. Add 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer just until the lentils are tender — you don't want a rolling boil, but some of the lentils should be dancing a little bit. You'll need about 12 to 15 minutes total (don't let them turn to mush). Drain, then place in a large bowl.

Stir together the dressing ingredients: oil, lemon zest (zest it right into the bowl), lemon juice, honey, salt, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Immediately pour half of it over the lentils while they are still warm, then stir to coat. Stir in ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.

To the bowl, add the cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion (soak it in cold water for a few minutes first if you wish to make it more mellow). Reserve a little each of the parsley, mint, feta, and almonds for garnish, then add the rest to the bowl. Stir to combine. If it seems dry, add the remaining dressing as needed.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed (I had a big pinch of salt). Sprinkle the reserved parsley, mint, feta, and almonds over the top. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry.