I’ve basically been subsisting on lentils for the past few weeks. They’re easy and versatile, and sometimes I’ll just whip up a batch with some white wine and vegetable stock and add it to a simple salad.

But other times, I’m feeling more creative. When I saw this recipe from 101 Cookbooks, I knew it was a match made in heaven.

There are few things I love more than avocados. I don’t know when the obsession started, but I eat one almost every day. Like lentils, they can play starring roles in many dishes: Salad. Toast. Even in brownies as a substitute for butter. The options are nearly endless.

For this recipe, you cook some French lentils and top with roasted hazelnuts, sliced avocado, chopped chives and some flaky sea salt. I highly recommend going for the perfect bite; the combination of avocado, lentils, crunchy hazelnuts and chives is well worth the extra effort.

Also, if you’re looking for hazelnuts at the grocery store but you don’t find any, try looking under another name, “filberts.” It always makes me think of “filibuster”…unrelated, but at the top of many people’s minds in D.C.

French Lentils with Avocado and Hazelnuts (from 101 Cookbooks)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups cooked lentilles du Puy
1-2 ripe avocados, quartered
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 cup minced chives

Directions

Smash the oregano and salt into a paste in a mortar and pestle. Gradually work in the olive oil, and then the lemon juice.

Toss the lentils with 2 tablespoons of the oregano oil, taste, and season if needed. Arrange on a platter or in a bowl. Just before serving, cut the avocado into quarters, then slice quite thinly, and arrange on top of the lentils. Drizzle with a bit more of the oil, and sprinkle with the hazelnuts, and chives. A final drizzle of oil might be needed, and perhaps a bit more lemon juice.