Lentils and Rice
This recipe is compliments of a friend. Desiree gave it to me years ago...way back when I lived in Alabama. We haven't had this dish for quite awhile, but it's on the docket for dinner tonight. It's a healthy, inexpensive meal, and a complete protein too!
Lentils and Rice
2 cups dry lentils
1/4 cup dried, minced onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice or millet
1 1/2 tsp basil
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
8 cups liquid (either broth or water, but adjust seasonings if using just water)
Mix together all the dry ingredients. (Sometimes I mix it ahead, put it in the resealable bag, and keep it on hand. All that needs to be added later is the liquid) Add liquid. Bake in a 3qt ungreased covered casserole for 1 1/2 - 2hrs in a 350 deg oven.
Serve with all sorts of toppings. (whatever it will take to get your children to eat it ;-) ) We've served this with Ranch dressing, barbeque sauce, or ketchup, but our favorite is South African chutney that we discovered in England. I also serve a salad when eating this.
Variations:
Cheese: I'm told that the original recipe had cheese, but I've never told my children that. There were many times that more than one of us needed to be dairy-free, so I had this dish to serve. I'm afraid that if the children ever tasted it with cheese, they would never want to eat it without. Now they know.
Lentils: I've usually used the brown lentils, but today I used red ones. We'll see.
Spices: I've left out the oregano/basil/thyme and used curry spices instead. yum!
Lentils and Rice
2 cups dry lentils
1/4 cup dried, minced onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice or millet
1 1/2 tsp basil
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
8 cups liquid (either broth or water, but adjust seasonings if using just water)
Mix together all the dry ingredients. (Sometimes I mix it ahead, put it in the resealable bag, and keep it on hand. All that needs to be added later is the liquid) Add liquid. Bake in a 3qt ungreased covered casserole for 1 1/2 - 2hrs in a 350 deg oven.
Serve with all sorts of toppings. (whatever it will take to get your children to eat it ;-) ) We've served this with Ranch dressing, barbeque sauce, or ketchup, but our favorite is South African chutney that we discovered in England. I also serve a salad when eating this.
Variations:
Cheese: I'm told that the original recipe had cheese, but I've never told my children that. There were many times that more than one of us needed to be dairy-free, so I had this dish to serve. I'm afraid that if the children ever tasted it with cheese, they would never want to eat it without. Now they know.
Lentils: I've usually used the brown lentils, but today I used red ones. We'll see.
Spices: I've left out the oregano/basil/thyme and used curry spices instead. yum!
Labels: Recipes
posted by Noel @ 11:39 AM
7 Comments:
At January 30, 2008 at 5:09 PM,
Dana in Georgia said…
I developed a liking for Lentil soup, although I havent had any this winter :)
I'll bet the red ones look prettier cooked than the brown.
What makes South African chutney distinctive?
At January 30, 2008 at 7:25 PM,
Noel said…
yes, the brown lentils do look rather muddy when cooked. But the red ones didn't fare much better. It all kind of blended together. It tasted great though.
South African chutney. We were introduced to it by some South Africans. I hesitated to try it, but became bold and did it anyway. It's a combination of peaches, apricots, and some spices. I could get the bottle and read the ingredients. I tried other sorts while in England, and none could compare. SA chutney has a bite of spice, yet a bit of sweetness too. Kind of like some people I know ;-)
At January 31, 2008 at 5:04 AM,
Dana in Georgia said…
So, is there a label name for this South African chutney? Any chance I would find it here?
I like to serve steamed cabbage with my beans/rice combos.
At January 31, 2008 at 6:14 AM,
Noel said…
Mrs H.S. Balls Original Recipe Chutney. I found it at Cost Plus World Market. Do you have those in your area?
At January 31, 2008 at 8:01 AM,
Dana in Georgia said…
Yes, there are two not too far away from me (Kennesaw and Smyrna).
I will try to find it :)
At February 1, 2008 at 8:53 AM,
Carol in Oregon said…
I have a recipe similar to this. I love lentils. Curt is a big fan of cheese and so I make it with cheese.
We once knew a homeschool family, the dad was going to school and the mom worked part time as a nurse at night and taught the kids during the day. They ate a lentil/rice casserole almost every day for their evening meal. I was mightily impressed with the resignation with which their kids accepted this limited menu.
I wonder now, though, if they eat lentils...
At February 1, 2008 at 9:17 AM,
Noel said…
How funny, Carol. We overate tofu in England, 'cause we didn't have any money and it was cheap. Another story... But to this day, my children, if given a choice, will NOT eat tofu. But, you know, there are lots of folks who won't eat tofu, regardless of whether they were forced to as children or not. :-)
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