This week, I finally caught up on my blog feed after getting horribly backlogged over the holidays. I couldn’t bring myself to “mark all as read” because I have serious FOMO, but honestly I’m glad I took the time because my favorite blogs killed it – wrapping up 2014 and starting off 2015 right. I also just read Lean In, so I’m either two months or two years behind, depending on your yardstick.

Bearing that in mind, today’s recipe is not Valentine’s Day themed, as that would require the kind of forethought I can only applaud others for commanding. I dream of being that kind of writer one day. Except not really because I’m too busy dreaming about a full night’s sleep.

(But rest assured I will not miss Pi Day, partly because pie and partly because this.)

What I have for you instead of a chocolate dessert or romantic dinner menu is something more unassuming  – I think “humble” is a good word for lentils – but no less rousing to eat. I love lentils’ earthiness but sometimes their texture is lackluster, so for this dish they get a little makeover via a fry in a hot skillet to become satisfyingly crispy. For extra crunch, I add chopped walnuts that become aromatic as they cook alongside the legumes. Everything is coated in a generous sprinkling of za’atar, an herbaceous and tangy spice blend of sumac, sesame seeds, and thyme. The sesame seeds also toast up in the pan, deepening their flavor. Oh, and I threw some kale in there for some extra goodness, to find it also became delightfully crisp at the edges.

I’d been coming back to this dish for a while, especially to use up leftover lentils, but didn’t find it notable enough to share until I began adding lemon zest. See, there are a lot of hearty flavors going on here, and they needed a little uplift. The zest brings a brightness to the meal that simultaneously balances and boosts it. Topped with a fried egg, I’ve been relishing it for breakfast, although it could just as easily stand in for lunch.

So there you have it, your non-Valentine’s Day recipe. It’s not glamorous, but it’s really good.

Crispy Lentils with Walnuts and Za’atar

2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 c julienned kale
1 c cooked lentils, cooled and patted dry*
1/2 c roughly chopped walnuts
1 tsp za’atar
2 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs
olive oil
salt

Add a splash of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the kale and saute until bright green. Stir in the lentils, walnuts, za’atar, and two big pinches of salt and continue to saute until the lentils are crispy and walnuts are fragrant. This whole process takes 7-10 minutes.Stir in the lemon zest.

At this point if your skillet is large enough  you can move the lentil mixture to the side, otherwise divide it among two plates before frying the eggs. Add another big splash of olive oil to the pan, crack in the eggs, and sprinkle each with a little salt. Cover and cook until the edges are crispy, whites are just set, and yolks still runny. Plate the eggs over the lentils and serve warm.

Serves 2

*I like to keep my lentils in a mesh strainer overnight in the fridge to cool and drip/air dry.The drier the lentils are, the more easily they’ll crisp up.