I feel a little bit guilty for posting this. You see, it's been on the blog twice before in other guises. It's a riff on this veggie loaf, and I also used the veggie loaf recipe as a guide for these lentil mushroom sliders. But it's such a good recipe, it deserves to be recycled. And it fits perfectly with the recent theme I've been working on. So I only feel a tiny bit guilty.
French green lentils hold their shape and firmness after cooking, resulting in a fluffy pilaf in which every element is separate from its neighbors. The flavor is rounded out with warming sage, thyme, onions and celery. It's quite filling, so it's a good dish with a light vegetable soup or a salad.
This is my entry for My Legume Love Affair this month, the popular blog event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. I am hosting this month, so please take a look at the event announcement and keep your entries coming my way!
Lentil-Wild Rice Pilaf
Instead of individual spices, I used poultry seasoning, a commercial blend of sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg available at most supermarkets here. I made my own following these two recipes. You can also substitute a 1:1 blend of sage and thyme.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
2 stalks celery, finely diced, about 2/3 cup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup long grain brown rice
3 cups vegetable broth, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2/3 cup French green lentils
1/3 cup wild rice
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 green onions, sliced, tops only
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Sauté onion and celery until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute or two. Stir in brown rice. Add 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring the rice to a boil, reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 40-50 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. (If some liquid remains after 50 minutes, cook uncovered on low until it's gone, for up to 5 minutes. Don't stir the rice or it will get sticky.)
In another saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the lentils, wild rice, remaining 1 cup vegetable broth, 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Just as you started the brown rice above, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff up rice and lentil mixture with a fork. Carefully mix together. Top with walnuts and sliced green onions.
Serves 6.
What is great about good flavour combinations is that they work in so many ways, from salads to soups. This is no exception.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of your poultry mix - I'll make some soon.
This pilaf looks and sounds great. I don't think you should feel guilty at all. I don't think I have ever had lentils and walnuts: I am intrigued.
ReplyDelete