Wild Rice With French Green Lentils Recipes

WILD RICE WITH FRENCH GREEN LENTILS

Steps:

• Bring 2 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is just tender, about 45 minutes. Drain. Return rice to pan.
• Meanwhile, insert cloves into onion. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add lentils; stir 1 minute. Add 1 3/4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat (some liquid may remain in pan). Discard onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf. Stir rice into lentil mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Simmer rice-lentil mixture uncovered over medium heat until heated through and liquid is absorbed, about 6 minutes. Stir in parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
• *Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

GREEN LENTILS AND RICE ASSYRIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Place the lentils into a pot and cover with the water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Meanwhile, rinse the rice in cold water until water comes out clear.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the rice for about 1 minute, until the grains turn opaque and white, then stir in the lentils and water. Bring the rice mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 5 minutes. Stir once, then cover and reduce heat further to low. Continue cooking, covered (don't remove the lid!) until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. When the rice is ready, stir in the caramelized onion and season with salt.

WILD RICE WITH FRENCH GREEN LENTILS

Steps:

• Bring 2-1/2 cups water and 1 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan.
• Add rice and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is just tender, about 45 minutes.
• Drain.
• Return rice to pan.
• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add cloves, onion, carrot, celery and garlic; saute until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add pancetta and saute until crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Add lentils; stir 1 minute.
• Add 1-3/4 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, and bay leaf; bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
• Remove from heat (some liquid may remain in pan).
• Discard cloves and bay leaf.
• Stir rice into lentil mixture (can be made 1 day ahead, cover and chill).
• Simmer rice-lentil mixture uncovered over medium heat until heated through and liquid is absorbed, about 6 minutes (if made the day ahead of time, you may need to add more water or chicken stock).
• Stir in parsley.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Note: Leftovers can be made into soup for the next day.
• Just add some chicken stock, milk or cream to the rice-lentil mixture.

WILD RICE AND LENTIL SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare rice according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water. Place lentils in a small saucepan. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water., In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and salt until blended. In a large bowl, combine rice, lentils, tomatoes and green onions; drizzle with dressing. Just before serving, stir in arugula and cheese.

LENTILS WITH WILD RICE & CRISPY ONIONS (KOSHARI)

Steps:

• To make the tomato sauce, in a nonaluminum saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer; don't let the garlic brown. Stir in the tomato sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt. When the mixture just begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the wild rice and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
• In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and cinnamon and saute for 1 minute longer; don't let the garlic brown. Add the stock, lentils and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 30 minutes.
• While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute until brown and crispy, about 30 minutes.
• To serve, reheat the tomato sauce gently over medium heat. On a serving platter, spread the lentils in a layer; top with a layer of the rice. Pour the tomato sauce over the rice and top with the onion rings. Garnish with the cilantro.

WILD RICE & LENTIL STUFFED DELICATA SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES & PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make the pilaf. Set a large saute pan with lid (or a medium dutch oven) over low heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until a few pieces of the rice start to get golden on the ends, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon curry powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute.
• Add 3 cups of the vegetable broth, the brown sugar, and the lentils. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer, stir, and cover. Set the timer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture begins to get too dry before being cooked all of the way, add additional broth. If the mixture seems too wet after cooking for awhile, vent the pan to help some of the liquid evaporate. I've found making the pilaf is not an exact science as each pan is different, so just monitor your pilaf as it cooks. Pilaf is done when it's relatively dry and the lentils and rice are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Remove pilaf from heat and stir the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Taste and add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder and more salt and pepper if you wish.
• Meanwhile, while the pilaf cooks, prepare the delicata squash. Cut the stems off the ends, half lengthwise, scrape the seeds out with a spoon, and brush the inside of each half with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until fork-tender and golden around the edges. Remove from oven.
• When ready to serve, flip over the delicata squash and spoon pilaf into the squash halves. I like to mound it just a bit but not too much or serving will become interesting (as in messy). You may have some pilaf left over. Transfer to serving plate and sprinkle chopped parsley over the top. Serve.