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I hate it when people tell me what to do. I love it when people tell me what to do. I simply like to make up my own mind. I mean I can’t make up my own mind. That’s the Libra in me, forever weighing options. First I try to amass a cluster of opinions, and then I want to have the last word.

When my husband says “No cooking!” I understand that what he really means is “Don’t make a big mess in the kitchen, that I’ll feel obliged to clean up!”

But I have a Jittery Cook commitment to you. Now that I’ve been food blogging for 10 months, now that I’ve introduced myself personally to hundreds of people as the Jittery Cook, now that I’ve managed to entice so many of you to come back for more, how can I follow instructions like “No cooking?”

Lucky for me, I tasted this delicious recipe recently. Lucky for you, I’m not following orders.

vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion Ingredients

  • 4 T olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 t ground cumin
  • ¾ t ground cinnamon
  • ½ t ground allspice
  • 4 ½ c vegetable broth
  • ¾ c dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
  • ¾ c long-grain white rice
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish ingredients
  • 2 c cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, whole or halved
  • 2 Israeli cucumbers, peeled, cut into rounds
  • 1 c plain yogourt
  • 1/4 c chopped fresh mint
vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice; sauté for 4 minutes.

vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

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 a heavy, large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté for 20 minutes. Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter; top with onions. Place tomatoes and cucumber around the edges of the platter. Top each serving with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with mint.

Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion Print Ready Recipe

vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Final notes:

  • This recipe was passed on to me by my multi-talented friend, Marilynne Malkin. It’s adapted from Epicurious; originally from, Bon Appétit, November 2003. Welcome to the next Jittery Cook draw, Marilynne!
  • Brown rice–link to how to cook (thanks to Susan Schwartz), is a healthier choice. More liquid and longer cooking time would be required as per package instructions. I’ll give more precise information after I try it out. If you want to know just how much healthier, check out this list of the 50 healthiest foods.
  • See recipe2recipe‘s latest post for Shrimp DeLong that tastes amazing with this rice dish.
  • Here’s the real scoop about caramelizing onions. Patience, patience!
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