Monday, December 12, 2011

Lentils with Brown Rice

Lentils are a staple food for us, especially as the weather has gotten colder. We buy them in bulk at The Merc, they come in a variety of colors, and they are so versatile. My mom often made (and still makes) lentil soup, which is great, and John started making lentils and rice a couple of years ago. They are a great go-to meal, packed with protein, fiber, and folate, and (big surprise) our girls love them. Here's a quick fix for some lentils and rice, but google away as there are so many different combinations of lentil meals!
Lentils with Brown Rice
  • 1 C organic short grain brown rice (cook separate from lentils: 2 C water, 1 C rice, cover and simmer until done - approx 35 minutes)
  • 1 C organic french lentils (these are green ones)
  • Organic carrots
  • Organic onion
  • Bragg organic apple cider vinegar
  • 3 C organic low sodium chicken broth
    • Wash lentils and pick through, discarding bad ones
    • Chop and saute carrots and onion in olive oil (garlic would be good, too)
    • Add lentils and 1/4 C vinegar
    • Cover and simmer approx 10 minutes
    • Add broth, bay leaf, spices
    • Cover and simmer until lentils are of desired tenderness (I probably left these for 45 minutes, or so)
    • Salt and pepper
    • Serve with rice
John discovered the vinegar step in this process, and I think it seals the lentil deal. Bacon is also a great addition, as it is to many recipes, but it works quite well here. Bottom line: lentils are worth a shot, if you haven't tried them. And if you have, leave some recipe ideas in the comments for us! I'm sure they'll be making an appearance again this week! Happy Monday!
Posted by Erin at 1:23 PM
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3 comments:

  1. kayJanuary 4, 2012 at 6:12 PM

    Love this one! I am making it right now. I had a lentil soup recipe that was good but this is better. I used organic veggie broth instead of the chicken broth and added fresh bay leaves, rosemary and oregano. Super yummy. We will be eating this with the hummus I made today and a tray of carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, olives and peppers. And for my biggest challenge...feeding and filling up two teenage boys? This is AWESOME!

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  2. ErinJanuary 6, 2012 at 6:33 PM

    Lentils are the best! Hey - if you get a minute, share your hummus recipe. I've made hummus a bunch but still haven't found "the" recipe. Thanks!

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  3. kayJanuary 12, 2012 at 12:06 PM

    Um, I kind of make it up as I go along but it goes something like this:
    In the food processor I put 1 can of garbanzo beans, drain and save about 1/2 of the liquid.
    We like our hummus garlicy so I put 2 or 3 cloves of garlic in.
    2 Tbsp tahini
    juice of 1/2 lemon
    salt and pepper to taste.
    Pulse this, adding in the reserved liquid from beans until it is the consistency that you prefer.
    I then put it in a bowl, make a little hole in the middle to which I pour about 2 Tbsp. olive oil into. Then garnish with kalamata olives and parsley.

    That is the basics...I keep thinking I am going to add some flavoring like roasted red peppers, but we like this so well I have not done that yet.

    Enjoy and let me know how you like it!

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