mediterranean summer salad

ingredients:

1. 150g  bulgur wheat
2. 150g  puy lentils
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 2 fresh bay leaves
5. 50g pine nuts
6. 130g
7. padrón peppers
8. 1 tbsp olive oil
9. 1 large aubergine
10. 2 courgettes
11. 8 piquillo peppers
12. pinch of smoked sweet paprika
13. extra virgin olive oil and salt (to dress)

directions:

1. place the bulgur wheat in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to expand and cool for 30-45 minutes.
2. put the lentils, bay leaves and peeled squashed garlic cloves in a saucepan over a medium heat.  cover with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil.
3. lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. drain, discard the garlic and bay leaves and put the lentils in a large mixing bowl. dress with extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste. 
4. toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over a high heat.
5. drain the bulgur, tip into the lentils and mix in the pine nuts.
6. remove the centres of the padrón peppers.
7. to cook the padrón peppers, heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until blistered and starting to blacken. set aside.
8. slice the  aubergine in halve lengthways and sliced into thin half moons. slices the courgettes on the diagonal.
9. drizzle the sliced aubergine and courgettes with oil and toss with the paprika. heat a griddle pan until hot and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until char lines appear. 
10. transfer half of the aubergine, courgettes and peppers to a plate and set aside. Finely chop the rest and mix with the lentils and bulgur.
11. to serve divide the mixture between the plates and decorate with the leftover vegetables and piquillo peppers.
12. enjoy!