What did the maple syrup farmer say when he saw a good looking maple tree?
I'd tap that.

Slightly inappropriate joke aside, maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. In this recipe the sweet maple syrup combines with the mustard and soy to create a delicious marinade for the salmon.

The salad is simple and easy, but the lentils make it filling and the feta and hazelnuts elevate it to something high class!

The recipe below serves 2 generous portions and takes around 30 minutes to make.

You will need:

• 1 large beetroot or 2 smaller ones - the pro-move here is to use real beetroots, not tinned stuff!
  
• 2 pieces of fresh salmon (you want a piece per person)
  
• A handful of hazelnuts
  
• A bag of salad - I'd recommend a spinach and rocket/roquette mix
  
• A tin of lentils
  
• Feta cheese
  
• Whole grain mustard
  
• Soy Sauce
  
• Maple syrup

Preheat your oven to about 200°C (that's like just under 400°F).
Fill a pot with water, chuck in a pinch of salt and get it boiling on the stove (shortcut: use the kettle to heat the water and then add it to the pot).
Chop the tops off your beetroot and drop them in the pot. They'll stay there in their nice hot bath for about 20 minutes.


Meanwhile get your salmon out and pat them dry with a paper towel. Run a firm hand over them and check there aren't any bones that need to be removed. Pop them in a bowl and add a generous pour of maple syrup, a heaped teaspoon of the wholegrain mustard and a dash of soy sauce - you don't need exact measurements here. Leave the salmon alone for a bit to get familiar with their new friends.


In a small pan, pot or in the oven, toast your hazelnuts. Do not put them in the toaster! Heat them for about 4 or 5 minutes until they just start to brown on the outside and they smell really nice. Put them aside and once they cool, chop 'em up!

Pop your salmon on an oven tray and pour any marinade over the top. Cook for about 10 minutes - the topping should start to caramelise and look sticky. Once they are done, take them out the oven and put them aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Check your beetroot is cooked... you should be able to easily stab it with a fork. Not the end of the world if its still got a bit of crunch, in fact I like that, but it shouldn't be crunchy like a raw carrot! Run it under a bit of cold water and leave it somewhere to cool... but make sure you don't leave it on a surface where it will stain!

Once the beetroot is cool enough to be handled, you can rub the skin off with a paper towel. Then chop it into slices or cubes, whatever you prefer. This is fun, because you tend to get covered in the beet juice and go around scaring people pretending you've cut yourself...


Throw the chopped beetroot and chopped hazelnuts into the salad bowl.
Drain your can of lentils of all that goop... if you have a strainer, empty the can in there and wash the lentils under a tap. Add them to the salad bowl.
Crumble up some feta in there too - however much you like - and stir it all around.
If you have a sweet tooth, you can mix a bit of olive oil with some maple syrup and add that to the salad.


Add a few big spoonfuls of salad to a plate and plop a salmon on top... done! Enjoy!

Let me know in the comments if you tried it and how you got on!