Including fresh fruit and vegetables, limited amounts of protein and healthy fats, the Mediterranean cuisine is both a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Recipe Callum Hann | Photograph Brendan Homan | Styling Natalie Homan

Sumac pork with pomegranate lentil tabouli and yoghurt sauce
Serves 4

2⁄3 cup brown lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
500g pork fillet
1 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 bunches asparagus, cut into 4cm pieces
1 bunch broccolini, cut into 4cm pieces
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
¼ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Seeds from ½ a pomegranate
Juice of 1 lemon
Yoghurt sauce
2⁄3 cup Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp tahini

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Boil lentils for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until golden brown and done to your liking. Remove pork from the pan and coat with sumac and paprika. Set aside to rest before slicing.
Return pan to the heat. Add asparagus and broccolini and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bright green and lightly charred. Add garlic for the last 30 seconds of cooking.
Combine lentils, asparagus, broccolini, spring onions, parsley, almonds and pomegranate in a large bowl. Squeeze over half the lemon juice and toss to coat.
To make the yoghurt sauce, combine yoghurt, garlic, tahini and remaining half the lemon juice in a small bowl.
Spread yoghurt sauce on bottom of serving plates. Top with tabouli and pork.

 

This recipe first appeared in the February 2019 issue of SALIFE.