Holiday Recipe: Easy Rice and Lentil Pilaf

Thanksgiving is sneaking up on us and I'm sure many of you are still wondering "What the heck am I going to prepare?!?!"

Since time is ticking and I'm sure the idea of hanging out in the kitchen for hours on end to prepare a full meal is getting less appealing. The answer is easy: call me!  I'm available for hire to cook your holiday party meal.

If having me slave away in your kitchen is not an option (don't worry, I don't feel like a slave, I get such a thrill from cooking a big meal!), try the next best thing... a recipe, or two, or three of mine. A previous post featured a holiday recipe round up and I'll continue to add new posts with new ideas to get you through Thanksgiving, then into Christmas and Hanukkah and all the way into January for all your holiday parties. (And Los Angeles area peeps, the offer will still stand to just call me when you feel overwhelmed!)

This lentil rice pilaf is simple, delicious and easy to prepare, while still having the ability to come off as elegant. It is packed with veggies and loaded with protein rich lentils to make it worthy of full meal status, or simply serve it as a side. To make it a more hearty dish, mold it into a heart like I did (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!), or stuff it into a roasted squash, or other stuff-able veggie of your liking (i.e. pepper, mushroom).

Rice and Lentil Pilaf

Rice:
1 Cup long grain brown rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 Cups water
1 bay leaf



Lentils:
3/4 C french lentils
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
water

Veggies:
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped, stems removed and thinly sliced
1/2 C green peas
1 T umeboshi vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. In a medium pan, heat olive oil, then add rice and toast until lightly browned and nutty smelling. Add thyme, chili flakes and salt and coat well. Add bay leaf and carefully pour in water; it may splatter in the hot pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer with lid on for about 40 minutes. Peek under the lid at about 30 minutes to see if you need to add a little more water (about 1/4 cup) if it has absorbed too quickly. When done, set aside.

2. While the rice is cooking, get the lentils started. In a small pot, cover lentils by about 2 inches of water and add salt and bay leaf. Bring to a light simmer, but do not boil, partially cover and reduce heat. Gently simmer for about 25- 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender, but not mushy. It may take a little longer depending on how fresh the lentils are.  When done, drain and set aside.

3. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, warm oil. Add sliced chard stems and garlic and saute until fragrant and softened. Stir in peas, then add chard and sprinkle with salt. Using tongs or a wooden spoon, gently toss greens so that the leaves can all get in contact with the pan and wilt. Once chard is wilted and peas are heated through, set aside.

4. Combine lentils and rice in a large bowl and mix well, toss in greens mixture and season with vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.