Thursday, January 19, 2012

Lentil-Wild Rice Pilaf

 
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.

2 comments:

  1. What is great about good flavour combinations is that they work in so many ways, from salads to soups. This is no exception.
    I like the sound of your poultry mix - I'll make some soon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 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.

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