French green lentils are a protected food in France, meaning green lentils, les lentilles verte du Puy, can only be called so if they come from Puy-en-Velay, in the Haute-Loire Valley of France. Lentils were originally called "poor man's caviar" and has since grown into an adored culinary ingredient, served in salad form, whipped and creamed into a velouté soup, combined with sausages, or a poached egg, and the classic combination of salmon and lentils...

How to Perfectly Pan Sear Salmon

• Start with room-temperature fillets:  Cold fillets will seize up against the hot pan and cook unevenly. Remove from refrigerator 15-20 minutes prior to using.
• Dry fillets before cooking: If they are wet, they will be more likely to stick to the pan and you will not achieve quite the same crispy skin. 
• Use a very hot pan: Keep the flame around medium until right before adding the fish, when you should raise the temperature to high and then drizzle in olive oil. 
• Always start with skin-side down: Although you will flip the fish towards the end of cooking, the skin is touch and can withstand oil and heat, evenly cooking the flesh of the fish.
• Don't touch the fish until you flip it: Once the fish skin touches the pan, let it do its think. It will slowly seize, crisp and pull away from the pan. No touching, poking, moving or prodding at all. 
• Watch for visual cues: After cooking skin-side down for a few minutes, youll notice the color become opaque as the heat moves up the fish. Once 3/4 of the fish is cooked, flip it over with a large fish spatula. Approximate 4 minutes for 1/2 inch thickness. A total of around 8 minutes for thick filets and 6 minutes for smaller ones. 
• Let the filets rest for about 3 minutes before serving.

Health Benefits of Lentils (1) 

• Very high in fibre, which is associated with decreased heart disease.
• High in folate and magnesium, which also supports heart health. 
• Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle.
• Magnesium works as a calcium channel blocker. Magnesium relaxes the veins and arteries allowing for improved blood flow.
• Gives energy while balancing blood sugar.
• Replenishes irons stores.
• Lentils are also high in protein, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium and vitamin B6.