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Here I am, at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, sipping at a hefty glass of Pinot Noir while trying to shake off the last few days. Not that this is strange for me; I come from a home where 4 p.m. is better known as wine o’clock. It’s that time between a long day and a night of who knows what to decompress, loosen up, and reset. But for the past few days it’s been an excuse to numb the pain, because I don’t think there is any “resetting” after putting your beloved pet down — and much too soon, no thanks to a sudden seizure and an undetected heart condition.
I was not prepared for that.
I’m gutted, heartbroken, and trying to keep myself distracted with this *lifts laptop* and this *lifts wine glass*.
Work and wine. Wine and work.
(Don’t worry, I’m a lightweight. I’m good after two glasses.)
I know that grieving takes time, and I have to allow myself that time. But I have a personal rule in life: after two-three days of letting myself be a useless pile of ice-cream eating sadness, I must bounce back; I HAVE to bounce back.
And the past two days have been hella productive as a result.
I’m as excited for warm weather as everyone else, and this dish reflects my enthusiasm for spring, fresh farmer’s market produce, and eating your feelings with things that aren’t ice cream.
When I say this recipe is easy, I mean it.
I don’t know about you, but when I cook lentils for a recipe, I always cook way too many and end up with a container of leftover lentils + zero idea what to do with them.
Until now, because this is what we’re all going to do when we have leftover lentils, okay?
This mélange started as one of those last-minute had to clean out the crisper hodgepodge type things, yet resulted in a glorious win. You can eat it as a side, over grilled crostini like a heartier and fuller bruschetta, or all on its own. It’s especially delicious if you include the poached egg. (OMG the poached egg.) That’s totally optional, though.
Please let me know if you make this recipe! Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram: @Killing__Thyme /#killingthyme. For more delish eats, follow me on INSTAGRAM + PINTEREST.
Refreshing Bruschetta Lentils With Feta
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
Dressing
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the lentils as per package instructions.
- While the lentils cook, prepare all of your vegetables and make your dressing.
- When the lentils are cooked, drain them and rinse with cool water. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Dressing
- Place all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk vigorously until well-blended.
- Once the lentils have reached room temp, place them into a bowl and add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, feta, and dressing. Give it a good stir to coat.
- Serve as a side, over grilled crostini, or eat it on its own with a silky poached egg!
Sorry to hear about your pet. Only time can heal such wounds. Take care of yourself, please. Big hugs.
This dish looks delish and I can totally picture how yummy this would taste!
Thanks, Amanda! And you’re so right — time does heal. It’s gotten easier (I cried for the first five days, ha), but I’m still thinking about the poor little bugger. Ugh.
And thank you! This is one refreshing meal.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I am waiting for the same to happen to me… soon… my cats are old and they are part of my family… really sorry!
Thanks, Julia. It’s never easy, and I think I was too confident that I’d have enough time to say goodbye; that I’d know he was starting to go downhill. I never imagined it would be so sudden.
I am so very sorry for your loss. I’m teary-eyed right now because I understand the pain a bit too much since we had to put down our 19-year-old cat 4 months ago suddenly as well, and I’m still grieving. I can relate. I also relate to being super productive to ease the pain. Grief is a very strange thing. I think you need to allow yourself to go through the various stages. We bounce back of course, we live our lives, but it’s ok to be sad or angry and to miss them terribly. I’m sending you a big hug! xo
Thank you so much, Gabby <3
This comment meant a lot. I'm so sorry about your cat, too. Grieving a pet is so tough. I always struggle with the fact that you can't tell them "it's going to be okay" and you can't thank them for the love and joy they brought you. You can feel like you let them know this by loving them up while they're around, but in the end, the inability to express such things is such a hard pill to swallow. You're so right, though. It's imperative to just let yourself feel the feelings, and roll with the punches; cry when the urge hits. (I've had zero problem doing that for the last five days.)
Thanks again, girl. I appreciated this! Massive hugs back, love xo
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s so hard to have to say good-bye to a pet. Work & wine sounds like a good way to get through!
Thanks so much, Janice. I appreciate it <3