Fragrant Brown Rice And Puy Lentils

Fragrant Brown Rice And Puy Lentils

Ingredients:
1/2 cup puy lentils (French lentils), rinsed
1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 Turkish apricots, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
zest and juice from 1 lemon
4 cups baby spinach leaves
salt flakes and cracked pepper
fresh lemon wedges, for garnish
1. Place the pine nuts in a small bowl and pour enough water over them to cover. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
2. To prepare the vegetables, slice the zucchini and eggplant into strips around 1/3-inch (1-centimeter) thick. Toss in a large
shallow bowl with the minced garlic, olive oil, and torn sage leaves, adding salt flakes and cracked pepper to taste. Cover
and set aside for at least 10 minutes (the vegetables can be prepared like this ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to
24 hours before grilling).
3. Bring 1-1/2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the lentils and turn down the heat to gently simmer, covered, for 25
minutes until the lentils are tender and the water has absorbed. Set aside.
4. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
5. Meanwhile make the pine nut cream. Strain off any excess liquid from the pine nuts and add these along with the olive
oil, lemon juice, and around 2 tablespoons of water to a blender or small food processor. Blend until the nuts are smooth,
adding more water to reach the desired consistency. Add salt flakes, cracked pepper, and a tiny drizzle of honey or agave
nectar to taste and whiz again to combine. Set aside.
6. To finish the rice and lentils, heat the sunflower oil in a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and fry
for 3–4 minutes until soft. Add the ground spices and continue to cook over medium-low heat, until the spices are fragrant.
7. Turn up the heat a little and add the cooked lentils and rice, tossing to combine over medium heat. Add the diced apricots
and lemon zest and toss again to heat through.
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8. Remove from the heat and toss through the olive oil, lemon juice, and baby spinach leaves, adding salt flakes and cracked
pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm while you grill the vegetables.
9. To grill the vegetables, heat the sunflower oil in a stovetop grill pan or griddle. Working with a few strips of vegetables at a
time, grill over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Set aside and keep warm on paper towels while you cook the
remainder.
10. Serve the grilled vegetables layered over the rice and lentils with dollops of pine nut cream and fresh lemon wedges to
serve.
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Baked Risotto with Tossed Green Vegetables
PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES • SERVES: 4
Baked risotto is the essence of hassle-free cooking. Prepare the green veggies within the last
10 minutes of the baked risotto cooking time. Use your favorite in-season green vegetables
here. Snow peas, snap peas, edamame, kale, and spinach would all work well.
PERFECT FOR NEW VEGETARIANS • PACKED WITH
VEGGIE POWER • DIFFICULTY LEVEL *
BAKED RISOTTO