Lentil & Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Carefully add the eggs to the pot of boiling water and cook 7 minutes for soft-boiled, or until your desired degree of doneness. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the eggs to a strainer and rinse under cold water 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel the cooked eggs. Season with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower; cut into small florets. Thinly slice the scallions on an angle, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Halve the tomatoes; place in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cut off and discard the stem of the pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Thoroughly wash your hands and cutting board immediately after handling. In a bowl, combine salsa verde and fromage blanc. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

Add the lentils to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 25 to 27 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under water.

Meanwhile, place the cauliflower florets on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat and arrange in an even layer. Roast 22 to 24 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced white bottoms of the scallions, chopped garlic, and as much of the sliced pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Turn off the heat. Stir in the vinegar. Transfer to the bowl of seasoned tomatoes. Wipe out the pan.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels (remove the tails, if desired). Season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat.

To the bowl of tomatoes and vinaigrette, add the rinsed lentils and roasted cauliflower. Toss to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished cauliflower and lentils topped with the cooked shrimp and seasoned eggs. Drizzle with the creamy salsa verde. Garnish with the almonds and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!