Lebanese Lentil-and-Rice Pilaf with Blackened Onions

Source: Bon Appétit | November 2003

Serve with: Warmed flatbread. Dessert: Vanilla pudding with sliced mango.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

2 large onions, sliced

3 tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 cucumber, peeled, cut into rounds
Plain yogurt
Chopped fresh mint


Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates; top with blackened onions. Place tomatoes and cucumber alongside. Top pilaf with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with mint.

I love this and it doesn't take too long. I usually skip the mint because I never have it on hand.

Hearty (& fast) Lentil Sausage Soup

This has become our go-to Lentil Soup around here. I highly recommend pairing it with the beer bread she links to as well. My note on the beer bread is to make it with 100% fresh whole wheat, dropping the measurement to 2 1/2 c ww flour and adding 1/2 wheat germ.

Enjoy!

Apple Lentil Salad

I've had this in the back of my mind to post for a while. This is also from Simply in Season and is yummy! Perfect for potlucks or light winter dinners!

1c. lentil
2Tbs curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4c.olive oil
2c. water/broth
2 tart apples
1/4 lemon juice/cider vinegar
2 potatoes, cooked, chopped & chilled
1/2-1 small onion, thinly sliced (red looks very pretty in salad)
handful fresh parsley, coarsely chopped.

Soak lentils 15 minutes in hot water.

In large saucepan heat 1/4 c. olive oil and cook curry powder & salt til bubbly. Drain lentils, add to saucepan and fry briefly, maybe 2 min.

Add water. Cook til absorbed, adding more water if needed to cook lentils until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain excess water and allow to cool.

While lentils are cooking peel, cube & cook potatoes. Drain & set aside to cool.

Core & dice apples. Mix with lemon juice or cider vinegar. Add cooled lentils.

Thinly slice onion and coarsely chop handful of fresh parsley. Toss along with chilled potatoes into lentil apple mix. Serve warm or room temperature.

Lentil-Tomato Stew

I have this cooking now and it smells amazing! I put it together in 5 minutes or so when I first got up. Looks like it will make a lot of yummy, healthy food. (One serving has 16 g. of fiber!) It also happens to be vegan. I'm thinking I'll make cornbread to go with it.

3 c. water

28-oz can low-sodium peeled Italian tomatoes, undrained (I couldn't find these so used 2-14 1/2-oz cans of Italian diced tomatoes.)

6-oz. can low-sodium tomato paste

1/2 c. dry red wine

3/4 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 lb. dried lentils, rinsed and drained with any stones removed

1 large onion, chopped

4 carrots, cut in 1/2" rounds

4 celery ribs, cut into 1/2" slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt (I used less)

fresh basil or parsley, chopped, for garnish

1. Combine water, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, red wine, basil, thyme, and crushed red pepper in slow cooker.

2. (If using whole canned tomatoes) Break-up tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stir to blend them and the paste into the mixture.

3. Add lentils, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

4. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

5. Stir in the salt. (Oops! I put this in this morning!)

6. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with chopped basil or parsley.

Syrian Red Lentil Soup

2 Tbs oil
3 cloves garlic (I use more like 5 or 6)
1 1/2 c red lentils
6 c. water
1 Tbs thyme
2 tsp whole cumin
1 tsp salt

Cook garlic in oil for about a minute. Before it smells too strong,
add cumin. As soon as cumin begins to turn darker (or before your
garlic burns!) add lentils, water, thyme & salt. Bring to a boil,
then simmer on low for about one hour. Serve with a nice bread.

I like to add some potatoes & maybe a carrot or whatever greens I
have on hand (actually a good use for chard) and then I serve it over
brown rice. However, this can be made just as simply and
straightforward as the recipe calls for and it's super yummy. This
is one of our "bare pantry" recipes cause it takes almost nothing and
is very satisfying! Oh and, even though red lentils will be soft and
done cooking within like 20 minutes, the flavor really is best if
it's allowed to simmer as long as it's called for (but if you're in a
rush, it can take as little as half an hour to make!)